The Mansion
by Girl in a cup
Summary: Different kind of Tenchu fic, with fantasy flavour and odd pairings... Main one is OnikageAyame, but there is bits and pieces of such pairing as RikmaruGohda as well. Focuses mainly in Ayame and her chaotic life in a weird mansion... Read and Flame
1. Chapter 1

A.N: This is an fic that takes place in another universe, all the original tenchu characters are out of character, but you know what that's what fan fiction is all about, which means that ….If you don't like it , don't read this. I apologise for the spelling and grammarerrors...

Disclaimer: Pay attention. I DO NOT OWN TENCHU…OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! Please do not sue. I don't own anything except my sleeping bag…

Plot is mine, places are mine and character of Emi is mine…even though she is fictionally altered version of my best friend….everything else is loaned ….

**-The Mansion-**

Ayame would always remember the day when her life turned upside down, throwing the newly meaningless phrase of "_impossible_" out of the window.

It all started one, foggy September evening, some time after her eighteenth birthday. She was heading her apartment after school. It was only a little past four, but it was already getting dark, and the cloudy sky held a promise of rain.

To save some time Ayame had decided to cut trough a forest that stood behind the schools building. She needed time to change out of her school uniform, long black skirt and same coloured jacket, take shower and going to city so she could find a job.

She had lost her parents few years ago in a fire, and was now living alone in a one room apartment. It was small, but she didn't need much space. She needed money. The school wasn't exactly cheap and she had to also pay her living expenses plus the apartments rent. She had already received two warnings and her landlord's patience was running thin. If she remembered right the forest was called something like the devil's playground. Not very attractive name for a forest, but she had heard weirder names in this town, one of them being a river called the 15061986, that ran trough the town. Who'd want to name a river a long set of numbers?

Ayame had heard about the weird things happening in the devil's play ground after sun set, but she had never been superstitious, besides she had calculated that her way home would half if she could find a decent way through the darkening forest, and that was a good enough reason to challenge the folklores, about giant cats and dead army who waited their general to arrive.

She had walked in the woods about fifteen minutes when she came across a trail, that lead deeper into the forest. Ayame decided to save her self from the difficulty to battle with tree branches dressed in a long skirt and follow the barely visible trail; after all it was going to the right direction. Little by little the trail got wider as she walked until it was more of a dirt road than a trail.

She started getting a bit suspicious after walking a while. The road seemed to continue as a straight line, but the surroundings didn't seem to change except the fact that she could no longer see anything but trees behind her. She should have stepped out from the forest by now, it shouldn't be this vast.

Ayame decided to check her clock, it was almost 5 pm and the usual annoyingly loud ticking had stopped

"_Bloody hell! Just my luck that the battery decides to die today!"_ she thought frustratedly _"It's not like I don't have enough problems as it is."_

She kicked a tree, gaining nothing but a sore foot by her action. Ayame tried to calm herself. She tied her shoulder length, raven black hair, up to a ponytail. Took few deep breaths and pushed few unruly black locks from her face, scanning the surroundings again with her sharp dark brown eyes. She had a feeling that some one was watching her from the shadows and getting angry wouldn't help her at all. First she had to figure where she was.

"_What do I know?"_ She asked from herself. _"I have walked at least an hour before the clock stopped, and so far I have seen no signs of the city lights."_

That was weird; it didn't take more than hour and fifteen minutes to walk from the school to her apartment the long way, and the road seemed to be making no turns. She should have stepped out of the forest about half an hour ago.

Ayame was about to turn back as she saw some light ahead of her.

"_I must be near the end of the forest. Maybe I walked a little past the place where I should have walked. It takes always a longer time to walk in a strange environment than in a familiar place, right?"_ She thought shrugging off the nasty feeling that someone was watching her.

When she got closer to the light Ayame figured 3 things: the lights weren't a sign that she'd come any closer to her destination, but belonged to a enormous mansion, which towered 3 floors high and had at least one tower, it was getting rather dark and she couldn't tell for sure. The building was separated from the woods by high metal fence and a sturdy looking gate.

For a moment Ayame stood there watching the building and wondering how she hadn't ever heard of it before.

"_Maybe the owner appreciates privacy, and is rich enough to pay people silent."_ She thought looking the black gate that seemed to fit fine to the mental picture of a rich loner that didn't want any guests on his lands.

The building wasn't exactly what Ayame would have called welcoming. Even the shadows around the mansion seemed rather threatening, but she had to face some facts, One: she was lost, two: she didn't have any time to loose if she didn't want to call herself homeless in the near future and three: in the mansion would probably be a person that could advice her back to the city.

Taking a deep breath Ayame stepped towards the gate, and almost got a heart attack as the gate opened accompanied by a creaking sound of rusted metal.

"_It was open the whole time!" _she nearly shrieked_ " Get a grip Ayame, you are way too old to be scared by darkness"_ She mentally scolded herself trying to calm her racing heart.

Gathering her courage Ayame inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. _"You won't be scared by shadows."_ she told herself _"You are an intelligent adult now, and intelligent adults don't get scared by little things._"

Letting out a deep sight she opened her eyes and walked to the door. The front doors were carved by some black tree and they were enormous. Three men could have easily walked trough them side by side.

Ayame searched the door bell quite a while, sliding her hand along the stone walls, but the owner seemed to forgotten to buy one, probably on purpose. The guy was beginning to seem more like overly solitude obsessed freak, every second.

Finally Ayame accepted that she wouldn't find a doorbell or anything alike from this side of the house and knocked the door.

Nothing happened.

She knocked the black wood harder.

"_Maybe a little too hard."_ She mused herself nursing her aching fingers, as she concentrated her ears to hear something, anything, from the house. Foot steps, people talking or even a dog toddling closer to the door.

Then as she lifted her hand to knock the door again the door opened by it self, revealing a young woman standing in the door frame. She couldn't be more than few years older than Ayame herself. She had a short, unruly red hair, pale skin and big, bright green eyes. She was wearing a long black velvet dress that seemed to straight from the sixteenth century.

"Please, come in." she said in a silent voice and turned around walking from the door, leaving stunned Ayame alone in the door way.

Ayame's eyes were wide as she scanned the huge hallway inside. It was like a set of some historical movie. The torches on stonewalls lid the long hallway dimly, revealing thick, red, velvet rug that covered the stone floor as long as she could see. There were tens if not hundreds of traditional Japanese armour's glimmering in the light of the living fire. Standing loyally near the walls, fully armed, they seemed to be able to move to defend the mansion against intruders in a heartbeat. Here and there, where the dim light of the torches couldn't reach, were dark shadows that were even more threatening than the armours.

It took Ayame few moments to gain her composure and follow the woman inside. As she had walked a few steps from the door as she remembered the open door, but as she turned around to shut it, the door was already closed. It stopped Ayame. She hadn't heard anything.

"The door is probably automatic." She muttered herself nervously not convincing anyone. She turned around to see that the woman in black dress had stopped to wait her.

"Please, follow me." She said as Ayame got closer. "We don't have many visitors these days, the forest has become unsafe." She continued before Ayame could open her mouth to ask where the woman was leading her. "We can't let the master of the house wait us. That wouldn't be suitable, at all." she said little smile curving her lips as the passed doors of different size and shapes.

Ayame felt herself clumsy as she followed the woman, who glided along the hallway, illuminated by torches, so smoothly that Ayame was starting to wonder if the woman's feet even touched the floor as she walked.

Ayame was lost in her thoughts so deeply that she almost bumped to the woman as she suddenly stopped in front of a red pair doors with golden dragon carvings on the sides. They were so detailed that she almost saw them move. Every little scale had been individually carved. The woman in black knocked the doors as Ayame gazed the golden dragons that stared back at her with their violet stone eyes that reflected the fire of torches.

"Enter." commanded a deep voice from the inside.

The red haired woman opened the door and glided inside Ayame at her heels. The room was all red and gold, from the window drapes to the fire place, in the back of the room. It was probably the most luxury room Ayame had ever seen.

One of the four walls was covered with book filled shelves high enough to reach the ceiling. The other wall had a big, gold coloured writing table and chair with red fabric covering. The wall above the table there were old maps, and a painting of golden dragons, which seemed to be the theme of the room. The same dragons could be found from the pattern of small rug near fire place, from the golden candle crown that hung high in the ceiling in the middle of the room, from another pair of doors at the another end of the room near the fire place, even the carvings of fireplace itself were about two golden dragons curling over the fireplace, watching incomers intensively their mouths open to reveal sharp fangs.

There were two men in the room one was sitting in an armchair near the fire place, staring in to the fire resting his head on his hand, much like the famous sculpture of the thinker. He seemed the stereotype Japanese man. He was in his early twenties. He had a black unruly hair that fell to his face, but that didn't seem to bother him, as he kept staring the flames with his dark almost black eyes. In the light of the fire Ayame could see a glimmering of a silver ring with black stone. He was wearing formal, traditional clothing, a white and green haori jacket and dark green hakama pants.

Unlike the first man this other man was everything but ordinary. He stood behind the chair, evaluating them with his eyes. Well with a one golden eye actually, since the other was closed by a long scar, that started little above his right brow and ran over his right eye to end halfway of his cheek. He seemed to be at his late twenties or early thirties and he was dressed in a similar way, except that his clothes were in the shades of black and dark grey, even the silver pendant around his neck… but he seemed more dignified, more ruthless. He was the strict, unforgiving master of the house, no doubt about that. He was muscular and quite tall and even though he had no visible weapons, something of the way he stood and watched them made Ayame think of predator lurking a prey. He had very unruly silver hair that almost covered a pair of silvery, cat like ears on top of his head.

"_Those are most definitely not human ears… more like cat's ears… or actually wolf's?" Ayame thought confused" What's going on? Are they real!"_

Ayame opened her mouth to ask as the ears twitched a little and other turned a little bit towards the door behind him like listening something Ayame couldn't hear.

"_Oh my god they are real! What in the name of seven states of hell is going on here?"_ she wondered dizzily as she forced her legs to stand where they were and answered to the unfriendly stare the silver haired man was giving her. _"Calm down girl, he is trying to get you out of balance, there is some rational explanation of those ears…there must be…"_

Ayame felt like she'd been there in the room staring the dangerous looking man at least a good ten minutes, even thought it couldn't be more than few seconds, when he finally shifted his gaze to the red haired woman beside her, who had fallen to polite bow.

Standing up, the red haired woman said: "This is the visitor from the front door, master."

"My name is Ayame Ikisaki, and I can speak for my self." Ayame answered directing her words to the silver haired man and smiled challengingly.

His expression didn't change much, but Ayame saw his mouth tighten just a bit telling her that she had managed to irritate him, the master of the house, at least a little, by her rudeness. She was about to congratulate herself mentally as the ordinary looking man, who Ayame had already forgotten, laughed a little.

Ayame turned her confused look to this man, who was now staring her with his kind black eyes, to request what was so funny.

"I apologise if I startled you. I should be used to this reaction by now. I'm the first to admit that Rikimaru really is much more impressive sight than me. Welcome to my humble mansion Ayame Ikisaki. I'm the master of the house Matsunoshin Gohda. How may I help you?" He asked in a low, kind voice that made you want to trust him.

Ayame felt how her mouth fell open. **_HE_** was the master of the house? She had thought that the Rikimaru person was. He looked much scarier than this friendly smiling, slim man before her.

"I …uh I'm sorry. I got lost on the way home and…I found this trail that changed to dirt road that lead to here. And I thought you might show me the way back to city?" She was babbling and she knew it, but they had gotten her mentally off balance.

"Hmm, what were you doing in the forest if I may ask?" He asked politely

"I was trying to get home faster, and I thought it might have been faster to cut trough the forest. I have heard rumours of it being cursed, but I really don't have the time to go to the longer route if I want to get to a job interview in time. And I really need the job, if I don't want to loose my apartment and not to mention that the school isn't exactly cheap either. All those books…Sorry I didn't mean to bother you about it." Ayame said and meant every word. She didn't know what had gotten in to her, she had only meant to answer the question, but something about that friendly smile had sent her to uncontrollable babble flood once again.

"No, it's quite all right. I have an idea…I can't give you another chance of the job interview, but are you familiar, with chamber maid's or room servant's job, because I'm in a desperate need of helpers. Are you interested?" He asked, his dark eyes shining

Ayame could do nothing but nod silently. She really hadn't seen this one coming.

"It would be a live in job. You'd get any one of the free rooms you want and warm meal three times a day and the pay would be….about 40 000 yen a month. (about 400 U.S. dollars)" He continued with a smile

"I don't have any work experience from either field, but I'm fast to learn. Just one thing though… Would it be a full time job, because I still have school for three to four months before the final exams? After that I could do full time job." Ayame asked hopingly. This kind of offerings didn't come to her way all that often. She'd get free living in a nice luxury mansion, free food and even got paid double the money that she would have got from the part time.

"Part time is fine, but only for 3 months, after that I need you to be working full time." The master of the house said. "Of course, only if you want to take the job."

Ayame suppressed her sudden need to sing and dance on the table.

"It's a deal." she said with a grin so wide that almost split her face in two.

"Ok, we will fill the contract paper the first thing tomorrow morning, and Emi will explain you all the rules, but it's getting late and I have a still few things I have to take care of... So Emi could you escort Ayame to one of the free rooms? We can't let her wander around the forest in this time of night. Besides we don't want her to run away from us." He said with a smirk.

"Yes master", answered the woman with unruly red hair. "Now Ayame, please follow me." She said and glided out of the room.

Ayame followed her, still wondering how Emi could move so gracefully in a long skirt.

"Emi, can I ask you something?" Ayame asked nervously, wanting an answer to the question that had burned her mind for quite a while now.

"Yes, what is it?" Emi asked slowing her pace to allow Ayame to walk by her side and examined her with her bright green eyes.

"Was it just my imagination or did that Rikimaru person really have cat-like ears?"

The end of chapter 1

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_(author's note: hakama is long pleated pants, wide enough to be mistaken as skirt. Together with haori jacket they are traditional Japanese men's clothing. If you want to know how they look like: google them, there are pictures of them._)

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	2. Chapter 2

A.N: Includes hints of yaoi (if you don't know what it is…go fetch a dictionary or something…), I mean it, they are really there…consider yourselves warned. (Waits until there is only one reader left) Now, let the fluff begin! Muaha ha ha ha haaa!

Disclaimer: same as before….

**-The contract-**

Ayame woke up in a soft bed, wide enough for two to sleep, opened her eyes and gazed the beautiful room, with pale blue walls. There was a silvery night table with crystal decorations and a thick, soft, white, fluffy carpet, on the floor, near the bed. Rest of the floor was covered in different shades of icy blue floor tiles.

The windows were made of foggy glass, with little, surprisingly detailed, snowflake decorations on the upper side. The long drapes were finest white satin. The good sized dresser and the empty bookshelf were made of some transparent light blue glass. Everything in the room made you think about winter, snow and ice.

It wasn't overly luxurious like the dragon room had been, but it held a similarity. Both rooms had a theme and matching colours. The dragon room had been all gold red and dragons. This room was all pale blue, white and silver. And the theme was probably snowflakes and crystals, although there was natural size picture of long haired woman's face carved to the almost transparent glass door leading to her living room. The face had a calm expression even though a little smile curled it's transparent lips. Ayame had chosen her two room apartment, within the mansion, last night. She'd fell in love the first time she'd seen it. The bedroom was small and cosy, but most definitely the most beautiful Ayame had never had. And she had her own bathroom with a shower and a bath tub. The cold colours of the room made Ayame curl more tightly under the thick blankets.

"I could lie in bed whole day like this… maybe I could skip school….." Ayame murmured to herself as she heard a knock from the door.

"Ayame, you should get up now, if you wish to go to that school of yours." Emi's voice called from the door. "And you also need time for getting your own things here, and filling the contract is also something that takes time. And I hoped that I could show you at least the east wing and your co-workers in the morning."

Letting out a defeated sight Ayame slipped from the bed yawning widely. She had known that it had been too good to be true.

15 minutes later, she stepped to her living room fully dressed and ready to go. Emi stood in the middle of her living room waiting patiently. Somehow she seemed out of place in the middle of pale blue room with her now deep forest green dress and short, flaming red hair. The living room was decorated with the same snowflakes and crystals theme as the bedroom, but it was relatively empty.

There were only an empty white fire place, two tall windows that showed a view to a lake, beautifully carved white writing desk and a matching chair with the palest blue velvet covering and three silvery candlesticks for seven candles, standing on the floor almost as tall as Ayame.

Ayame wondered briefly how beautiful her room would be in the candle light, before asking: "Can I bring more furniture here? My bedroom is perfect as it is, but the living room… Don't get me wrong now, I really like it. It is just so…. empty." Ayame said with a nervous smile.

"Sure, as long as you don't mess with the theme of the room too radically. For example an orange sofa with fire pattern wouldn't fit here too well." Emi answered with a little amused smile and Ayame made a mental note to find drapes to the empty windows of living room and possibly a rug of some kind to put in front of the fireplace and maybe even armchair…

"This is the key to your rooms." Emi continued pulling Ayame from her thoughts and handing her a big old fashioned key with a snowflake decoration on the other end.

"Don't loose it. There are only two spare ones and one of them belongs to Tatsumaru, our butler, and he isn't all that understanding when it comes to loosing things."

"I won't. Can I ask you something stupid?"

"Sure, what do you want to know?" Emi asked a curious look in her large, green eyes.

"What do you do? I mean what's your job is in this house?" Ayame asked feeling both silly and a bit rude.

"Oh my, I must be getting old, forgetting good manners like that. Let me introduce myself. I am Emi Nakahara the keeper of the house and the head of maids." she said bowing politely.

"Pleased to meet you." Ayame answered with a similar bow "What does the 'keeper of the house' mean in reality?"

"That title means that I am responsible of the maids as well as other female employees of the house. I'm the one that makes sure that they do what they are supposed to do, that they get their rest, their food and their payment and if they are sick or there is an accident I make sure that they get to see the healer. I'm also the one who will be responsible if anything goes wrong, whether it's an injured servant or a broken window. So if you have problems of any kind, come to me and I will help you the best I can. My rooms are three doors left from your rooms, a black door with cat carvings, they are hard to miss." Emi explained patiently.

" I'm also one of those higher up servants. Only the master Gohda, Tatsumaru and possibly Rikimaru have the power to order me, and in certain situations I even overrule Tatsumaru and Rikimaru. Well that's all you need to know about me. Now we have to hurry." She said, probably wondering had she said too much, and glided to the hallway trough the plain white doors that separated Ayame's rooms from the rest of the vast mansion. Ayame followed right behind her.

They moved quickly trough the narrow, torch illuminated, hallways, making unexpected turns and opening doors just to find themselves in a similar looking hallways moving onward with increasing speed. When they finally stopped, Ayame had completely lost her sense of directions. The door ahead of them looked simpler than most of the doors, she had seen in this weird building, only her own plain white doors were simpler. These doors were painted grey and there were no carvings. Only decoration was the metallic knocker, shaped like wolfs head. As Emi used the knocker Ayame noticed a weird thing the other one of the knocker glass eyes was pitch black as the other one was white like newly fallen snow.

She didn't get chance to think about it any further as the door was opened by a man whose face seemed to be trapped to an eternal scowl. He probably wasn't much over thirty, but his expression made him seem at least ten years older. He was dressed in similar clothes that Ayame had seen Rikimaru wearing. It was probably some kind of uniform.

He had brown eyes and his look was cold as he glanced at Ayame. His long, black hair had been tied back to a ponytail revealing slightly pointed ears. He was tall and Ayame wasn't sure would she even reach his muscular shoulders. He held the same sense of danger as Rikimaru, but if Rikimaru made you think of a hidden weapon or lurking predator then this man would most certainly been revealed sword or attacking beast. The man made Ayame feel nervous.

"You are late" He hissed to Emi with a voice which made you think of sword being pulled from it's sheath. The lesser woman would have run away crying and apologizing, but Emi just gave man a look that made the Antarctica seem warm in comparison, and pushed past him moving even more gracefully than before.

The man ignored the look and moved inside giving Ayame enough space to walk in. The room was simple. There were very little furniture in the room, just a long, black table with 13 chairs one small window and a fire place.

Master of the house sat in his place, on the end of the table. As Ayame got closer she noticed how tired he seemed. His face was almost the same colour as the white sleeves of his haori, his dark eyes were bleary and his hands were shaking a little as he gestured Ayame to sit down.

Behind him stood Rikimaru, seeming, if possible, even gloomier than yesterday. The fire of candles on the table reflected from his golden eye, making it glow threateningly in the shady room. His ears were flat against his head in a manner that reminded Ayame of angry dogs. And as she sat on the other end of the table, she could have sworn that the heard a growling noise emitting from Rikimaru's throat.

"_What is wrong with these people?"_ Ayame wondered looking from the stone faced, dark haired man who looked ready to commit murder, to Rikimaru, who seemed to be on the verge of tearing Ayame's throat open with his teeth, if she would even look at him in the wrong way.

The tension seemed to ease as Gohda greeted her: "Good morning, Miss Ikisaki. How are you this morning?" His voice was weak, hardly more than a whisper.

"I'm fine, thank you… Are you all right? You don't seem too well. " Ayame asked a worried tone in her voice.

"It seems that I have caught a little flu, nothing to worry about." He said in a weak voice and gave her a little reassuring smile. "Here is the contract." he continued handing Ayame an old parchment "Take your time reading it trough, this is not something to be made lightly."

He was obviously lying about his well being, because he almost dropped the parchment from his shaky hands to the wooden table as he was handing it over to Ayame.

"And it seems I'm getting clumsy as well." He said, letting out a small chuckle.

Ayame took the parchment and eyed the contract trough. Everything seemed to be in order. She nodded, took the old fashioned pen that the stone faced man was offering her and signed the contract.

"Now as a mark of our contract, please take this." Gohda said and gave Ayame a similar looking silver pendant that Rikimaru was wearing. "Think of it as a key or an identification system. Keep it always with you in a place where anyone can see it, so that my guards won't mistake you as an intruder. " He continued with a more serious tone.

"I will. Thank you." Ayame said inspecting the pendant closer. There was something carved on it's silvery surface, but she couldn't tell what it was. Shrugging her shoulders she tried it on, the chain was a bit too long for Ayame's liking, as the pendant hung between her breasts, but it was a small price to pay for free food and a nice apartment.

"I won't take anymore of your time. I'm sure that Emi can explain you the rules of the house and give you a quick tour around the mansion." Master Gohda said smiling

A moment later Emi leaded Ayame from the room to the hallway.

As the door shut behind the pair the smile vanished from Gohda's lips, and he turned his attention to his gloomy butler.

"Tatsumaru, make sure that everyone in the east wing stay in their human form today. I don't want to scare the girl, it's better for her to find out the truth in her own pace." His voice held a tone that left no room for arguments.

"Yes, sir." Tatsumaru answered bowing deep before Gohda. With a smooth motion he straightened his back and left the room.

Rikimaru's ears twitched angrily as he remained silent for awhile to make sure that his half brother was out of hearing distance. He wasn't going to embarrass his master by letting Tatsumaru hear, how he told the god damn ignorant punk, he had sworn to serve, exactly what he thought of this madness.

"What were you thinking? She is a mortal, a human for god's sake. She shouldn't even be in this mansion, and you hired her! And what are you doing here any way, have you lost your mind completely? You are badly injured! You shouldn't even be out of your bed yet, let alone keeping meetings, that Emi or Tatsumaru or even I could have handled!" Rikimaru said raising his voice with each word.

He would have continued expressing his feelings even louder, clearer and with more colourful verbal set, but he was interrupted as the master of the house tried to stand up just fell to the floor with audible thud, as his legs betrayed him. He was clutching his side with his hands and Rikimaru could see growing red stain on the green fabric of his haori.

Rikimaru was quickly on his master's side. Despite the way Rikimaru was always criticizing Gohda's decisions, he cared deeply of his young master.

"_Why does he never listen to me?"_ Rikimaru thought studying his master worriedly. Gohda's face was twisted to tortured grimace, and he panted with short, sharp gasps. There were drops of sweat running along his pained, colourless face. Gently Rikimaru moved Gohda's cold, shaky hands from the wound getting better access to inspect the damage. The wound on his side had opened again, apparently the healer Tesshu hadn't got all of the poison out. He must have looked at least half as worried as he felt, because his master forced a little reassuring smile on his pale lips.

"I'm fine Rikimaru, just help me up." Gohda said with almost inaudible voice, trying to calm his bodyguard.

"_No you are not! And who gave you the permission to act like I'm a scared little kid, worrying over nothing."_ Rikimaru fumed mentally.

Rikimaru helped Gohda up from the floor. His master stood there leaning heavily on Rikimaru. Then he took a deep breath and straightened up, wincing visibly.

"See, I'm alright. I can walk to Healer Tesshu's chambers by my self. Besides it would look ridiculous if I leaned on you with each step, like an old man." The master of the house joked, in a weak voice. He had managed to take few wobbly steps towards the door, before he lost consciousness and fell.

Luckily for him Rikimaru was close enough to catch him before he hit the floor. Holding the limp body of his master in his arms Rikimaru shook his head in disbelief, before shifting his master in to a better position in his arms. He could feel how cold Gohda was, even trough the multiple layers of clothing. He needed to get to the healer, and fast. Kicking the grey door open Rikimaru sprinted to the hallway with inhuman speed.

"_If you survive this alive, I'm going tie you to bed for a month!"_ Rikimaru promised to himself.

As Emi ended her quick tour on the east wing of the house Ayame asked: "Who was that tall man in the meeting?"

"He is the butler of the house Tatsumaru. He is an insensitive brick if you ask me, but you can't find a better butler anywhere. And before you ask, that was his normal expression." Emi answered with unusual edge in her voice.

"So he is normally as pissed as Rikimaru?" Ayame asked astonished. "Does anyone beside you and master Gohda smile in this house?" Ayame joked.

"Where on earth, did you get that impression?" Emi wondered "Rikimaru is one of the sweetest kids I've ever met. He is actually quite a story teller, once he made me laugh for hours. He just gets grumpy, when he's worried or stressed."

"Really? Wow, I must have seen on his worst days, since I could have sworn that he growled at me as I sat down."

"Our master hadn't been this sick ever before, and Rikimaru tends to overreact when it gets to Master Gohda's safety. He takes his job a little too seriously." Emi sighed and lead her to the front doors. "When you get back, here continue this hallway until you find a big white pair doors with, green butterfly decorations. It's the library; either I or one of my underlings will be waiting for you there." Emi said pushing the big black doors open with ease.

"Green butterflies, ok…Well, I'll be off now. Have a nice day." Ayame said, stepping out of the door to the stoned road of the front yard. The Yard looked equally scary in daylight as it had been in moonlight, gravestones and mausoleums standing in each sides of the road.

"Nice day to you too, and remember to return before sun set." Emi shouted after her as Ayame hurried towards the school.

Tesshu had removed the last of the arrow's poison from of Gohda's system, and he wasn't in an immediate danger anymore. But he was tired and his body needed time to heal the damage that the strong venom had inflicted on him. To put it simply: he needed rest.

Tesshu had allowed Rikimaru to move master Gohda to his chambers. And now Rikimaru was sitting on the edge of Gohda's wide bed, in his surprisingly simple bedroom, keeping an eye on the younger man. Ready to tie him to the bed by force, in case that he wakes up, and decides to do something stupid again. Gohda seemed better already, his face had gained more colour, even though he was still paler than usually, and he had stopped sweating. He was also warmer, Rikimaru noted as he felt Gohda's forehead. Only thing that worried him was the fact that Gohda was still unconscious.

"_Why do you always have to push yourself to the limit, Matsunoshin?"_ Rikimaru wondered watching his unconscious master's chest rise and fall, in a steady rhythm of his breathing. The younger man had really scared him this time. He had been closer to the gates death than ever before, and Rikimaru made a promise that he wouldn't let his master wander as close of them ever again.

"_It's not like you hadn't proven yourself to be worthy of the title countless times. _He continued, bending over Gohda to position the blankets more tightly around his slender body.

_You don't have to be invincible all the time, let yourself be weak every now and then. I'm here to protect you now, and always."_ He promised mentally, a tender smile curling his lips and softening his features, as he unconsciously took his master's hand to his own.

It was already dark as Ayame left her apartment, in a filthy apartment building. She had only one sport bag with her; it contained all of her earthly possessions, much of it being school books. She had paid her last months rent to the greasy, middle aged man that called himself her landlord.

Packing had taken much more time that she had intended, since the janitor had changed the lock to her apartment earlier that day, and had been too drunk to stand at the time Ayame got back from school. He hadn't recognized her and thus refused to give her the keys to her room to pack her things. It had taken over an hour of begging until he had graciously given her the keys to her neighbour's apartment.

All in all it had taken three hours to find the right key and pack her things. And Ayame was starting to get a nasty premonition that her problems for today had just begun.

"_No, don't think about it. Think about happy things…You have a nice big two room apartment in a nice big old, historical mansion. You are going to get a big salary that you can spend on anything you want, since you get free food and don't have to pay rent anymore._" She thought trying to cheer herself up.

"_Think how much sweets and clothes you can buy with the money. And you can take a hot bath whenever you want."_ She continued on an on, until she could see the forest before her.

The premonition hadn't been erased completely, but she was feeling a whole lot of better as she stepped to the dark forest. She was wearing jeans and a long, black jacket. The skirt of her school uniform was too long to be wandering in a forest, dirt road or not.

The forest didn't seem as threatening in the moonlight that she had expected it to see. Or that's what she thought until se saw someone walking ahead of her. It was dark so she could only see an unclear shadowy figure of a man, some distance ahead of her. There was something weird about the traveller. He was moving with an oddly stiff, jerking motion. It was like he would have problems to move his limbs properly.

Suddenly the shape of a man stopped moving and looked to his right, head slightly raised, like he would have smelled something in the air. To Ayame's relief he stopped it quickly and started to jerk forward, facing the direction he was moving. He hadn't took more than a few steps before he made something that no mortal human could do: he turned raised his chin until it was high in the air and he was facing backwards his head hanging on his back, upside down. It opened it's mouth to speak:

"A fleshling girl!" It croaked with a voice of breaking bones, watching Ayame with pair of glowing white eyes.

Ayame, who had never shrieked in her life, let out a high pitched shriek, and turned around to escape, but somehow the creature was already behind her. It was so close that Ayame saw it's dead, grey skin and smelled the rotting meat of it's body.

The creature reached for Ayame with it's long claws. Ayame felt a sharp pain on her right arm as the razor sharp claws cut her skin, like it would have been butter. She tried to defend herself by throwing a sharp kick towards the creature's stomach, but her leg went harmlessly trough the creature, like it would have been made of air itself.

Loosing her balance, Ayame fell to the ground. The creature didn't spent any time, before it was clawing her body, slicing deep wounds to her body with every strike.

Ayame didn't know exactly what happened, but suddenly she was back on her feet limping towards the lights of mansion as fast as she could. She was bleeding and aching all over, and was quite sure that her left hand was broken, but she couldn't stop. Glancing around, she could see that the creature was following right behind her and it had gotten company.

"_Only a little longer and you are safe…Only a little longer…"_ Ayame thought beating herself to run even faster.

She was almost inside the manor's sturdy gates before, one of the creature got a grip on her left ankle. Ayame could feel the sharp claws digging deep in to her leg and pulling her further away from safety.

"NO! … I'm so close!" She cried, struggling towards the mansion and for some reason the creature's grip loosened enough for Ayame to pull her injured leg free. She was practically blinded by pain and tears burning in her eyes as she kept limping forward, them she saw a wooden door and dashed towards it.

Ayame hauled the door open with her healthy hand and limped inside. She understood her mistake too late as she stepped into one of the mausoleums, in the mansion's front yard.

She was still running, as she tripped to something solid and fell towards an old full body mirror that lay on the floor, abandoned. She could just raise her hands to protect her head and close her eyes, as she fell on the mirrors surface …and trough it.

As Ayame opened her eyes a moment later she found herself on the stone floor of what seemed to be a dungeon. With a tear blurred vision She studied her surroundings. The small room was covered in large, grey stone bricks from the ceiling to the floor. In the darkest corner of the dungeon she saw something chained to a stone wall, with massive amount of sturdy chains.

Crawling closer she saw, what it was: a mummified human corpse that had probably sat there back against the wall for centuries. It's mouth was opened to a mute scream. Who ever it had once been had died in this room all alone, no one hearing his screams.

"_Just like I'm going to . . ."_

That thought, broke what was left of Ayame's self control. Her feet betrayed below her. She curled next to the mummy, in her ripped, blood soaked clothes, bleeding red pool of blood to the cold, stone floor. Violent sobs shook her petite form as she nursed her broken arm.

"Please… someone… anyone? Please… help me…I'll give… anything….please? … I don't want…to die…" She begged, sobbing silently.

From her tears Ayame couldn't see, how her blood stopped gathering to pools around her, but flowed towards the mummy like some unknown force would have drawn it closer to it. First it seemed that the mummy was just gathering her blood around it self, but then the blood started to absorb to the corpse, making it look less mummified with each drop.

After the corpse had consumed all the blood she had bled to the floor, it was looking like a pale man, in his early thirties, instead of centuries old mummy. The man had longish, raven black hair that reached little over his broad shoulders. Then the body shifted a little, opening it's glowing red eyes to study the sobbing creature, that had curled next to it.

"Will you give me your blood as a payment?" The man asked in a deep voice that hadn't been heard for centuries. The voice made Ayame raise her head from her hands to look for the source of the voice. As her brown eyes met his glowing red ones, her self protection instinct kicked in, making her dash towards the other end of the room… but he was faster. Quickly, he snaked his chained arm around Ayame, and pulled her towards him. Despite of her injuries Ayame fought back ferociously, but the stranger was stronger and she was pulled to the back of the dungeon.

-The end of chapter 2-

A.N : I think I might have managed to write an almost cliff-hanger… I'm so proud of my self…I usually write only parodies...


	3. Chapter 3

A.N: Thanks for the reviews Maya...they made me grin like a maniac, I was sure that people wouldn't like my style, because I've been told over and over that it's rather clumsy… And for my writing speed…it's slow 'because I have to check everything twice….with a prereader...who lives and works in another country...(I can't see my own errors) and thattakes time...(currently writing chapter 5)

Disclaimer: click to chapter 1 to read the main points….New characters of Ranmaru and Akamaru are mine…

**- The monster inside the mirror-**

Onikage didn't know how long it had been, since he had been awake last time. It must have been quite awhile since his skin felt so dry, even mummified. Something had woken him up… a presence. He could tell that something had entered his dungeon. And whatever the creature was, it was close.

He could hear it's heart beat fluttering rapidly, like wings of a scared bird, and smell the sweet scent of fresh blood everywhere; the tauntingly seductive scent was driving him out of his mind….

"_All that delicious blood, so close to me, and I can't move a fucking finger! When I get that Gohda bastard in my hands I will make sure that he wouldn't have ever taken his first breath!"_ He roared inside his head.

His inner screams of rage almost suppressed the weak voice near him, almost.

"Please… someone… anyone? Please… help me…"It begged pathetically.

"_Really, like begging would work…"_ he thought amusedly _"I tried that for a few decades, and look what good it did for me… No one is going to hear you… no one but me…"_ he let out a hysterical laugh, or would have, if it had been possible in his current state.

"…I'll give… anything….please? … I don't want…to die…" the thing continued, it's pathetic pleading

"_Anything, you say…well isn't that interesting…"_ Onikage thought barely believing his luck. The only thing that stopped him devouring the blood pools on the floor then and there was the curse Gohda had placed upon him. The curse made him unable to drink any blood; unless it was offered to him willingly. And now the creature beside him had done just that, however unaware of it's consequences.

_"You should really think more carefully what you wish, someone might be listening… In this case that someone being me…and I can assure you that I'm going to make you keep your end of the contract. But before that, I need a little meal…so that I can get to biting distance…"_He mused gathering his willpower to draw the blood in to himself.

Soon he felt how the liquid of life run trough him, healing and renewing the damaged tissue with each drop. It felt so good to feel the blood running trough his veins again. All too soon he had absorbed all the blood that had bled on the floor.

Onikage sifted a little, trying to release the stiffness that had crawled to his limbs in a past few centuries. He couldn't break the sturdy chains that were attached around both his ankles and wrists, even around his neck. Not in this condition, he was still too weak; he hadn't drunken enough blood, not yet.

"_I'm chained to the wall, like some filthy dog."_ Onikage cursed in his mind, adding one decade to the time he would torture Gohda when he would be free again. He opened his eyes to see what his future dinner looked like. Much to his surprised he saw a sobbing human girl curled right next to him on a moist, dark grey stone floor.

"_What is he doing in the Gohda's grounds? She shouldn't be able to even see them, let alone wander inside them. Maybe she is some kind of slave?"_ Onikage wondered studying her closer with his glowing red eyes.

Her long black hair was in some kind of messy pony tail and she was wearing weird torn clothes. Her skin looked pale against the bloody cuts that covered her body everywhere Onikage could see.

"Will you give me blood as a payment?" He asked, more to check if he could still produce speak-like sounds, that to ask permission of the human, soon to be his meal. He was so marvelled by his own deep voice that he almost paid no attention to the fact that the girl lifted her tear streaked face from her hands, to look him with swollen brown eyes.

_"She is so young, hardly more than a child."_ Onikage thought watching how her pretty face ran trough a series of expressions, from surprised to hopeful, before settling to the expression of pure horror. Then she dashed, surprisingly fast considering her current condition, away from him.

"_Oh, no you won't. I've waited you for so long, that it would be rude of you to leave so soon."_ He chuckled inwardly as he quickly threw his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

"_She surely is a feisty one."_ Onikage thought as the girl fought back kicking and striking him, even though that she must have known by now that it was inevitable for her to loose. He pressed her captured form against his chest with his other hand and raised his other hand to her neck, taking the girl's throat to firm grip.

"Be a good girl and I won't hurt you anymore that I have to." He whispered to her ear, pressing one of his sharp, clawed fingers against her throat, strong enough to break her skin. The girl stopped fighting, and went limb in his arms.

"See, it wasn't that hard now, was it?" He asked loosing his grip around her neck and licking the blood from the cut of her neck. The girl in his arms stiffened as he tasted her blood. It was even better than he had thought, the coppery taste wasn't too over pouring and it held a sweetness of youth.

Onikage's mind went blank, he needed more of that divinely tasting blood, and he needed it now. He pierced her white neck with his pearly white fangs and let the delicious, blood flow to his mouth. He hardly heard the scream of pain from the girl, as his fangs cut her flesh. The flavour of blood filled his mind, leaving no space to other thoughts.

Onikage didn't know how long he had been in the wonderland of tasty euphoria until sharp pain almost split his head in two.

"_Bloody hell, what is this!"_ He cursed mentally, interrupting his meal, dropping the almost unconscious girl to the stone floor in the process. The pain in his head vanished, leaving him with a slight nauseous feeling.

He was about to continue his dinner, as he noticed a bundle of mixed feelings, throbbing in the back of his mind. He concentrated his thoughts to this mixed mess of feelings. The biggest was a feeling of hot, white pain that seemed to radiate mainly from his left arm, but as he studied his chained left arm, he couldn't see anything that would cause the pain, not even a smallest cut.

More than mildly confused, Onikage returned to study the intruding, throbbing bundle somewhere in his mind. There was a feeling of helplessness that almost covered the feeling horror that seemed to be concentrated to something.

Closing his eyes, he focused all his will power to the target of the horror. He saw a tall figure of pale man, clothed on black shredded clothes, looking down at him with glowing red eyes. The man seemed to radiate a great threat. It took a moment for Onikage to understand that the man he saw…was actually himself.

"What is this?" Onikage wondered confusedly "Whose feelings are these? The girl's…? But that's impossible, she didn't have any hidden power's I would have sensed them…"

Then it hit him "No, that can't be! I'm going to make him scream another thousand years for this!" He roared aloud

"That clever Gohda bastard had made another fucking rule to my god damn curse! Now I'm bounded to this cursed little girl, feeling her feelings inside my head!" If Onikage hadn't been so raged, he could have burst in to tears of shear frustration.

"Always another god damn limitation, before I can get free!" He screamed his rage, breaking the chains that had trapped him to the dungeon wall, hearing a feint heart beat in his ears. The girl's fading heart beat…she was dying….he could feel it.

"_I don't even want to think what kind of twisted punishment Gohda had invented for me, if I would leave the willing blood donor of mine to die in this dorm…"_ The shear thought made him shiver

"I hope that you will appreciate this, if….when you wake up." Onikage corrected himself, as he threw the girls limp form over his shoulder.

"_I won't let her die, not when it might turn ugly for me …I will have to break the curse first."_ He promised to himself jumping trough the hidden doorway on the dungeon's ceiling, with the almost dead meal of his.

Rikimaru walked towards the kitchens, he was getting hungry and his master hadn't shown any signs of waking so far. He had left a young soldier called Ranmaru to watch over the master. Ranmaru was still too inexperienced and enthusiastic to take place in a real battle, so it was a perfect assignment for him.

"_Everything is changing rapidly..."_ Rikimaru thought liking the fact less and less, with each passing minute. Rikimaru liked boring routines that young people hated so much; the routines meant that everything was alright, that the ones close to him were safe.

Sighing deep Rikimaru returned his thought to the day that had crushed his beloved routines.

_It had started like any other day. Most of the day, he had trained the young soldiers to the secrets of stealth, in the forests surrounding the mansion: It has been almost dark when he had seen someone walking along the dirt road. He had quickly stopped the training and dismissed the young soldiers. That he could keep an eye of this mortal trespasser. _

_After all, the humans did wander in to forest every now and then, and the current Lord Gohda had told very clearly, that the humans were to leave the forest clueless and unharmed, and the forest wasn't exactly the safest place even in the daylight. _

_There were the undead spirits, which gathered around the mansion for some unknown reason, the zombie army that wandered around the forest, searching for someone that could be able to release them from they curse, and of course all those little pets that the two witch sisters had gathered around themselves. _

_He had followed the black haired human girl closely as she had walked clueless along the road. His presence had been enough to scare most of the monsters away, but few spirits had been a bit too stubborn to get the hint. He had lost the girl from his eyes for a few minutes and at that time she had already wandered to the mansion gates. _

_Why she had seen them in the first place, was a good question. The mansion was magically hidden. Human weren't allowed to see them; even the strongest of human seers could only see a feint shape of something. Even lesser demons couldn't see it. And as far as Rikimaru could tell the girl didn't wield any magical powers, let alone anything close to a seer, and she was most definitely a human. That however hadn't stopped her from entering the gate and knocking to the mansion doors._

_He had quickly reported this abnormality to the Lord Gohda and to Rikimaru's surprise Gohda had ordered the witch Emi to escort this peculiar human to the dragon room. Then the master had HIRED the mortal. That had become as a shock to everyone. How could a mortal girl work in the mansion full of bloodthirsty demons? _

_And the surprises hadn't stopped from there, like they could have left Rikimaru out of it so easily. Gohda had decided to participate to the meeting with Lord Jyyzou of the south, with offered rules, you can bring one of your men with you. The whole had clearly been a trap and Rikimaru had told exactly that to his young master, who had countered his words by claiming: that their countries were in the brink of war, and that he was willing to give everything to avoid it._

_The meeting had been a trap just like Rikimaru had said. When they had arrived to the promised spot twenty soldiers had attacked them. Rikimaru had survived the battle with minor injuries, but Gohda hadn't been so lucky. Two poisonous enemy arrows had wounded him pretty badly…_

"Where are you going, Rikimaru?" Emi's voice asked curiously pulling Rikimaru back to reality.

"To the kitchen… why?" Rikimaru asked looking the green eyed witch.

"You are in a wrong direction. You are in the maid's quarters in the east wing." Emi said with a smile that made Rikimaru blush slightly. "I thought that you might be looking some company for night…and seducing my young maids, would really get you in trouble, you know?." She continued with even wider grin.

Luckily for Rikimaru, Akamaru, a young soldier stormed out of the near by door, before Emi could continue her favourite past-time hobby called _"let's make Rikimaru blush"_.

"There you are master Rikimaru. I've been looking for you everywhere. Tatsumaru can not be found and there is something weird going on the front yard. It's swarming with spirits." The boy panted.

"I'll go check it out." Rikimaru mumbled, following after the boy, happy that someone had saved him from the Emi's hands.

_Little while earlier in the Gohda's chambers:_

Gohda opened his eyes as someone stormed to his chambers, shouting: "Master Rikimaru something is going on in the front yard…!" then he suddenly stopped in the mid sentence, noticing Rikimaru's absence in the room.

"Ranmaru where is master Rikimaru?" the young soldier asked from a boy who was standing in one corner with wide innocent eyes.

"He said he was going to kitchen …should I…?" The boy started, but before he could finish his sentence the soldier had already left.

"Well Ranmaru, we should go and see what this noise is all about." Gohda stated rising to a sitting position. He was feeling a lot better already, and his natural curiosity was taking over his rational thinking.

"B-but master Rikimaru, ordered me to keep you in this room, in case you'd wake up." The boy stuttered.

"And I order you, to escort me to the front yard." Gohda said with a slight nuance of iron in his voice. "Who will you obey?" Gohda asked turning the wall, behind him in to dust with one swift hand movement.

"Ah, You …master Gohda." the boy said with a newly found respect in his voice. He would most definitely not want master Gohda's anger upon himself. How would a master, who blows whole wall away just trying to specific his words, react when he got angry?

"A wise decision." Gohda said, standing up with a kind smile

-The end of chapter three-

A.N: First I had really big problems of writing from Oni's point of view, especially his reactions to Ayame. He always ended up too wussy or too grumpy or just too sane… The poor vampire had been left to mummify for century or two, alone to dark dungeon…so he couldn't be perfectly sane, right?

Then I got an idea. What if I would make him react to Ayame the same way I react to my favourite chocolate after a longish "no-chocolate-diet"? It sounded silly, but I was desperate …so that's exactly what I did…and to my surprise it kinda works!

…Oh and I'm thinking about renewing the summary part….does anyone have suggestions…please?


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

A.N.:This is the worst chapter I've wrote so far….it's a bit chaotic…mainly because it's written from so many different point of views… sorry about that…

Disclaimer: Do not own anything, but plot, places and characters of Emi, Ranmaru, Akamaru and Mimi (who is a new character modelled after my dear lil sis.)

I want to thank all those brave people who have enough courage to write me some feedback…it's always nice to know what other people think….THANK YOU!

**-The blessings and the curses of blood-**

Onikage stepped into the dark mausoleum above his dungeon. He wasn't alone in the moist stone room, built for some unknown Gohda's memory. There were spirits everywhere; tens of them hissing and lurking around him. Eyes glowing in the darkness they climbed on to the statues and walls, anywhere to get better view of him.

Onikage had known that the spirits weren't the nicest smelling creatures, but the reek of the decaying corpses, made him gag. The jerky movements of the spirits hurt his eyes, they seemed to skip trough the space they moved, just appearing to the other position without going trough the whole movement. Slowly the spirits crawled closer… cautiously, without sudden movements or will to attack, efficiently blocking his way out.

It started to seem that it wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought. Their presence explained the girl's injuries though. _"It was fucking impressive that she had managed to run from them. She would indeed be a fitting meal." _

"_Weird."_ He wondered walking closer to the spirits... "_Usually spirits avoid me, by all costs…what has changed…?"_Spirits hissed, but didn't let him pass. Onikage stopped, standing there unmoving as the spirits got slowly closer and closer, sniffing the air.

"…_It's the smell!"_ Onikage figured _"The smell of the girl's blood… smell of a prey."_

One of the spirits had climbed on the great marble coffin, and now tried to claw the girl hanging from his shoulder. He kicked the hungry opportunist to the near by stone wall. The spirit slid effortlessly trough it, not gaining any harm in the progress

"Sorry, this is my meal. Go hunt your own." Onikage suggested, to the bunch of hungry spirits.

He really wasn't expecting it to work, so he wasn't greatly surprised to see them attacking towards him, their white eyes were glowing in the dark, and their clawed hands reaching for the girl in his back. He kicked the first two away with ease, and made a clear opening in the middle of the room, with his trademark three kick combo, just for fun. His powers were almost returned, but there were more and more spirits compensating their fallen comrades. To him the situation started to look like a promising fight, something to ease his growing frustration.

"_It'd be fun to kill all of those death reeking creatures… and then torture Mitsuomi… to drink his blood and slowly peel of his skin…_ _But unfortunately I don't really have time for it…yet."_ Onikage thought sending one spirit flying with especially mean shoulder trust.

The girl was getting weaker with every spent moment, and he was feeling it as a pain, that tried to split his head in two, and the fighting was much more challenging when he had to dodge the attacks meant for the girl. Now he was stuck on protecting her, until he figured out how to break the Mitsuomi Gohda's curse.

He needed to get her to someone fast, and he couldn't really run when the girl was hanging from his shoulder like this. He repositioned girl, so that she was in his arms as small as possible. Bending protectively over her he dashed trough the wall of spirits, out to the front yard, leaving a trail of injured and vanishing spirits behind him, like a wind of destruction.

There were hundreds more of them out side, but that wasn't the thing that made him froze to his place. It was the familiar voice that echoed from the house: "Akamaru, give me my Izayoi."

"_Old man, Shiunsai! But … master Mei-Oh killed him…I saw it my self… …it must be the son, …Tatsumaru ."_ The thought wasn't exactly encouraging.

He had fought the Tatsumaru brat before, and he had been problematic then… Now with a few hundred years more training Tatsumaru was a real threat…and what was worse Onikage hadn't fully recovered yet…

* * *

Rikimaru stepped to the nightly yard watching the swarm of spirits gathering around something in front of the mausoleum, built from the memory of Mitsuomi Gohda, Matsunoshin's grand father. It was past midnight and he could barely see the jerkily moving mass, but he could easily smell them. The strong stench of rotting flesh seemed to be everywhere around him. Rikimaru took a deep breath, battling with the nauseous feeling. He would have to cut trough them to see what they were after.

"Akamaru, give me my Izayoi." Rikimaru grunted to the young soldier behind him. The soldier beside him chanted something and pulled the sword from the thin air. He was a gifted fellow.

Rikimaru, himself couldn't touch the spirits. Only those who were already dead and those few rare ones with remarkable powers could harm them with bare hands. No normal weapon would hurt them either; Izayoi however was no ordinary sword.

Soundlessly Rikimaru attacked, cutting trough the spirits, like they would be nothing. Their blood stained the blade shimmering in the moonlight, as they fell to the ground disappearing to dust. He could see their prey. It was the human girl, Ayame, lying on her back, looking pale and bloody. _"She must have lost the medallion."_ He cursed, mentally.

Suddenly he noted something rather odd; the spirits weren't attacking her straight away. Something was keeping them away, a small black figure that had curled on top of her hissing to spirits. It was a black cat, with glowing red eyes.

"_Another one of the witches' pets?"_ He sighed deeply; he had never got along with cats. Rikimaru bent closer to examine their victim, just to see her chest rising, she was breathing.

"_The girl is still alive!"_ He thought surprised. He moved his hand to check her pulse, but the black cat hissed a warning and bared it's claws.

"Ok, no touching…he mumbled to the cat and then stood up. "Akamaru! Get Tesshu, immediately!" he shouted, and the soldier vanished from behind him.

Rikimaru bent over Ayame again for a moment to pour a healing potion down her throat. He had stolen it from Tesshu's chambers, when the healer had tended master Gohda. The cat however didn't appreciate his actions as it attacked his hand with all might a beast that small could muster, scratching it with all four little pawns.

For a moment Rikimaru was tempted by thought to sent the little, furry bastard flying towards the spirits, but decided otherwise as he remembered that the appearance was deceiving when it came to Emi's and Mimi's pets….The cat might even survive….

There were more spirits gathering to the yard. Something seemed to have driven them crazy; they wouldn't dare to come here otherwise. Not with this many demons out here. Rikimaru raised Izayoi and took a defend stance. He would have attacked them, but he wouldn't let Ayame's side before Healer Tesshu would arrive. He had never trust cats; they were too self-righteous for his liking.

It took full ten minutes before Tesshu arrived to the scene in his human form with Mimi. Mimi was Emi's sister…or so she claimed. She was small and delicate, pale little blonde, with the most disturbing sense of humour. She looked angelic in her long white dress as she floated next to Ayame.

Rikimaru could see a flash of recognition pass her blue eyes as she saw the little furry bastard…

"Is the cat yours?" He asked trying to keep his voice unemotional.

"No, but it once belonged to my sister Emi…then it escaped one day, without any warning…" Mimi said looking the cat that had suddenly gone very quiet and unmoving. "It did upset my sister greatly, so we should keep it out of her sight for some time…"The cat actually shivered hearing these words.

A devilish smirk was born to Rikimaru's lips …maybe he would pay a visit to Emi later this evening…

"It seems to share some sort of bond with the girl." Mimi continued pulling Rikimaru from his thoughts. "We should probably keep it with her." She chirped to Tesshu and smiled in a girlish manner.

"If you say so, then I guess it's fine." Tesshu answered, raising the limb girl, with the cat, from the ground and carrying them back to the mansion. Mimi had obviously curled the man around her little finger.

"Oh, and Rikimaru…" Mimi chirped suddenly remembering something "you should probably get rid of these spirits soon. Our young master has awakened and coming to see what the fuss is all about." She smiled innocently "He is such a sweet kid… pity that he is always rushing straight to trouble…" with that she turned around following Tesshu away from the darkness of the yard, leaving Rikimaru alone to his bloodshed.

* * *

Gohda walked trough the hallways his cheerful mood forgotten. He had popped his head outside just to see that Rikimaru had already dealt with the problem. Sent Ranmaru and Akamaru to assist the stubborn silver haired ninja in the aftermath and returned back inside. He was feeling a bit tired for the show he had put up earlier…Ranmaru wouldn't challenge his words anytime soon…but now his side was hurting again.

"_The damned weak blood."_ He cursed mentally; he didn't need slow healing as one extra trouble. Jyuuzou of the South wanted war, and Mei-Oh of the West refused to meet him. Twins of East hadn't answered any of his messages, and now the lost souls of the forest had decided to rebel. Sometimes he wished that he could order everyone just to sit and listen for a moment, just like he could in this mansion.

"_You have no authority to order around here."_ A voice reminded him of the back of his mind. _"You are a just substitute…nothing more. You should be more grateful, more respectful towards the pure-blooded…You should give the thrown to Sekiya, and retrieve now…he might even spare you."_ it advised.

_"I'm here to give her a peaceful kingdom. To take care of her land until she is ready."_ He mentally countered the voice. _"Sekiya himself gave me the order."_

"_It doesn't matter. No matter how hard you train yourself, no matter how many enemies you kill, no matter how powerful you are; you can't change the blood that flows in your veins."_ The voice taunted _"And by that blood you'll be judged. And already has…"_

Sighing deep Gohda suppressed the voice, which once again was right. He needed guidance, but he couldn't run to Sekiya. Not in the middle of the crisis, it would put _her_ in danger, and putting a true heir of Gohda clan in danger was not an option. He needed to discuss with Emi. The witch was wise, and she would probably understand him and his reasoning the most.

It didn't take him long to, find Emi's rooms. Their doors were made from black iron, with stylish bronze cat decorations, with green eyes. One of the bronze decorations blinked at him as he got closer and before he could knock the door was opened.

"Come on in." Emi greeted from somewhere inside.

Emi's rooms were almost as big as Gohda's own, but unlike Gohda Emi had filled every wall and other place imaginable with most peculiar things.

The whole room had been currently decorated with black, white and orange...except the sofa that was invisible-ish …closer to transparent ….popping in and out of sight…Emi was sitting on it at the moment a little grey white cat curled into her lap. Cat theme was the dominating theme in her room, which fit her fine since she was a real cat lover.

Only decorations that didn't fit the cat-theme were the painting of a pale, black haired man with glowing red eyes and three bronze heads, chatting with each other. Each of the statues represented different stage of stopped time. The head of girl symbolized the past; the head of middle aged woman symbolized the present and the head of old, wrinkly woman represented the future. The heads were currently talking about the newcomer servant, Ayame…

"The human girl has suffered a lot; don't be so harsh on her…." The bronze girl pleaded as Gohda stepped in.

"Shush…we continue this later…we have a visitor…." The oldest warned glancing meaningfully at Gohda. The youngest head glared him a moment and then went completely still, playing a good little statue.

"What is it, master Gohda?" Emi asked raising her stern green eyes to meet his. Gesturing him to sit down to a black leather armchair, that had suddenly appeared from thin air.

"I need you to read the cards…"Gohda sighed, sitting down. "I need to know how much time I have left."

"The cards won't tell the future, you know this... They don't work like that. They don't tell you what you want them to tell…they tell you, what you need to know…nothing more …nothing less…" Emi said smiling a little mysterious smile.

Ayame woke up, regretting the whole procedure as her sense of feeling crashed on her. The pain in her right wrist was almost enough to drop back unconscious, and she was feeling so weak. It was unfamiliar feeling to a girl who had always had more energy than she needed. She opened her eyes, there was a bald man standing near the bed talking to someone she couldn't see. She was in her own ice coloured room, lying on her bed under the thick blankets.

"…Yes, but she is mortal, so I'm not sure how that would affect her." She heard a voice from say somewhere far away.

"Very well then…we do it your way…" Other voice said with voice filled with irritation.

"_What are they talking about?"_ She wondered groggily, but her concentration to listen this conversation any further broke, as something warm and furry touched the base of her neck. She glanced to her side to see black fur ball, snuggling closer to her.

"_What are you?"_ Ayame wondered trying to sift to a better position. The fur ball sensed her movement and raised it's glowing red eyes to stare her, like she would be the one to intruding it's personal space.

It took a moment for her sleepy mind to register the creature as a small black cat.

"Sorry kitten…didn't mean to spoil your nap…" She croaked in a raspy voice, she barely recognized as her own. The cat twitched it's small ears and hopped to sit on her stomach, like it would want a better view of her face.

Ayame stared to delicate creature…something in the cat's eyes seemed familiar, but before she could grasp the memory, it was gone.

She struggled her left hand free from the blankets and petted the cat. First it looked her hand like she'd try to attack, and curled smaller, closing it's eyes. It was actually shivering as Ayame ran her finger along it's silky, soft fur. She let out a small chuckle as the cat opened it's eyes to look the hand that petted it. She ran her hand along it's back and the little creature started to relax. She could feel how the tension it's muscles lessened under the silky fur and the cat sifted in to a better position. Now it laid on it's back, on her stomach looking relaxed and purring softly.

"You are so cute." Ayame murmured, pressing the unaware animal against herself. The movement caused a great deal of pain in her right wrist and numerous other places on her body.

"Shit." She cursed in pain, loosening her grip of the cat.

"Ah, it seems you are awake." A voice said near her bed. Ayame looked to the direction of the voice to see a tubby, bald man, in his early forties looking back at her. "I'm healer Tesshu." He said introducing himself.

"How are you doing today?" he asked, like he hadn't heard her cursing.

"I feel like, I would have left under a collapsing building." She answered grimly. Then it hit her. She shouldn't be here. The last thing she remembered she was walking in the forest, and there was something else too…a man… an oddly moving figure in the dirt road.

"Why am I here? What happened? How long…? She asked rapidly as the wave of panic washed over her.

"You don't remember? I was kind of hoping that you'd tell me…." The man answered avoiding her question. "All I can tell you are the fact of your injuries and where you were found. Do you want to her them?" He asked like it would be a treat of some kind, but she wanted to know.

Ayame nodded under the blankets, and the black kitten came closer, curling to sleep the base of her neck, under the blankets. It seemed to be a forgiving kind of type.

"You were found in the front yard, with several broken bones, numerous cuts and you suffered from a major blood loss. You are healing remarkably fast and should be able to return to your work in a few days. There will be hardly any scar's and no permanent injuries… you are a very lucky girl." He said with an encouraging smile.

"And it's a surprise to see you awake this soon. I expected it to take more than a week." He said happily.

"A week…" Ayame repeated faintly, starting to understand the seriousness "I've bee unconscious a whole week… Has anyone contacted my school?" She asked as her rational thinking kicked in.

"I'm sorry, but it wasn't our priority…and it slipped from our minds." He said looking a little ashamed.

"Our…So there were other doctors here…." Ayame wondered aloud.

"Yes, Mimi assisted me." Tesshu said with a sheepish smile appearing in to his face. "She is Emi's sister, the main chef of the manor." He continued, seeing the silent question in Ayame's eyes.

"You should meet her soon enough. She was the one taking care of your cat. It refused to leave your side, to eat, so we had to bring the food to it. It was a bit starved, but now it's fine."

"My …cat? …But I don't have a cat." Ayame said glancing the sleeping, cat under the blankets.

"Well, you have now…it seems to have adopted you." Tesshu said smiling. "Rumour tells that it actually attacked Rikimaru, when he bent over you examining your injuries…He was the one that found you."

Ayame lifted the sleeping cat to her lap, to look it better. It didn't even bother to open it's eyes, just let out a content sigh and snuggled closer.

"_You are truly brave one…I wouldn't dare to even threat Rikimaru, let alone attack him…And he is at least twenty times bigger than you…it was stupid thing to do…but thanks." _Ayame thanked the cat mentally petting it.

"I better name you, if I'm going to keep you." She said aloud, even though there was no decision to make… the little kitten had already stolen her heart.

"Try using name, Oni." A petite blonde suggested stepping into the room. "…It's the cat's name." She explained in high-pitched voice.

"You know it?" Ayame asked staring, the young girl before her, she had long straight blonde hair, fair skin and ice-blue eyes. She was short and delicate, like a fairy. And was dressed in a long white dress, which was both stylish and beautiful.

"Yes, he once belonged to my sister Emi…but he left several years ago. Anyway nice to meet you I'm Mimi." She chirped, flashing her pearly white teeth as she smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Ayame. …I though that the cat…Oni… was a kitten…" Ayame said petting the sleeping cat.

"Well, he can be deceiving…but it's nice to know that he has found a good owner. All he really needs is a little discipline." Mimi said lightly, but Ayame got the feeling that her words held several different meanings, and none of them were light. It was as if Mimi was trying to warn her somehow.

-The end of chapter four-

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**A.N: …I have a confession to make…. I really don't have a clear plot in my mind…I just write whatever comes to my twisted mind…. Is that a good or a bad thing I wonder…? **

**It also seems that my fic gets worse with each chapter…sorry about that**


	5. Chapter 5

A.N: Thank for all the reviews! They keep me happy; I love positive feedback ….but it's ok to send negative feedback too…just feed me, ok?

Summary: Ok…this is a really short kinda sweet chappie…where we can see Rikimaru less edgy than he normally is ….

Disclaimer: I own it all…not!

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**- Appearances -**

Ayame was sitting on her luxurious bed in her beautiful, winter themed room in the Gohda Mansion and looked sour. She had woken up sometime ago, eaten the meal that had been left on her white, delicate night table. Used the opportunity to test her bathtub, taking a long hot bath, but now she was bored out of her mind.

She was in her wide awake, but she couldn't do anything. There weren't TV, radio or any other books except the schoolbooks…and she wasn't in the mood of studying…She hadn't had any visitors since Mimi last night and Oni-kitten had disappeared too…supposedly to deal his own cat business…

Her body was aching all over, but she needed to get out from her rooms, before she would loose her mind completely; the walls were starting to move closer already. With a steely determination Ayame climbed out of her warm bed and got clothed; sweat pants and an old t-shirt with some long ago forgotten band's logo printed on it. Bare footed she tip toed to living room and out to the hallway. She had taken the snowflake decorated key with her…just in case.

The narrow, wooden hallway was dark; no one had bothered to light the torches. So it had to be very early in the morning or late at night.

The red carpet felt nice and soft against her bare feet, as she ventured forward. Her walking was slow, because of the bruises, that hadn't fully heeled yet. Most of the injuries had long ago healed and disappeared, but there were some injuries in her legs and right wrist that were still painful..

She hoped that the scars would disappear before she'd return back to school. It would be embarrassing if the other student's would notice them. The thought of herself trying to explain people, how she had got all those injuries made her shiver, especially since Ayame couldn't remember how she got them in the first place.

Ayame was so deep in the thoughts that she didn't notice the figure that was quickly approaching her along the dark hallway before her. First she was walking forward and then she bumped to something, and suddenly she was sitting in the middle of the hallway on the soft, red carpet.

"I'm sorry I didn't see you." Rikimaru said in an apologising tone, his ears twitching lower highlighting his words. "Are you ok?" He asked looking down at her, offering a hand to help her up.

"I'm fine …I was just surprised that's all." Ayame assured him taking the hand he was offering, and smiling a little. "Where were you heading in such a hurry?" She asked before she could hold her tongue. Much to her surprise Rikimaru flashed a boyish smirk, which softened his features and answered her question.

"I'm fleeing Emi's wrath…She was having a private conversation … and I kinda over heard it and…ah, maybe listened a little too long. Long story short: Now she wants my head on a silver plate." Rikimaru said grinning nervously, like a true conspirator.

"_He is like a kid, who knows a secret."_ Ayame realized and smiled back at him _"He seems like a totally different person than before…so this is what Emi was talking about, when he called Rikimaru a sweet kid, when he is off-duty…wonder what she thinks about him now?" _She thought amusedly. Ayame had gotten a feeling that Emi wasn't one of the most patient person's world had seen.

"So what are you doing here, in this time of night?" Rikimaru asked, getting more serious "I thought you were supposed to stay in bed a couple days more." The bodyguard voice was back, as was the frown that suggested he never enjoyed about anything.

"I was, actually…but I got bored, so I decided to wander around a bit." She said, smiling the same conspiracy smile as Rikimaru before.

Rikimaru opened his moth to say something, but stopped suddenly. Shaking his head, he looked back at her. The frown was vanished from his face and his golden eye glimmered warmly.

"How about I show you around a bit?" Rikimaru suggested, his voice friendly again. "Maybe Library and Kitchens for example …" He continued his ears twitching.

"Fine, by me." Ayame answered wondering if the guy before her suffered from multiple personality's disorder along with some rare ear-sickness. That would explain both the ear's and the drastic difference of his actions between on-and off-duty.

Some time and a bit of small talk later they arrived to a round, white pair doors with delicate green butterfly decorations.

"…So you have lived in this mansion all your life!" Ayame repeated Rikimaru's words in disbelief.

"Yes, I've called this mansion home as long as I remember." Rikimaru answered proudly and opened the doors.

"Why aren't they locked?" Ayame asked "Most of the other doors I've seen are locked at nights." She continues remembering all the doors she had tried to open before colliding to Rikimaru.

"Our librarian lives here and she doesn't really mind visitors, as long as you don't interrupt her reading." Rikimaru explained. "She is a bit weird, but don't let that scare you…she is pretty harmless. We won't probably even see her. The Library is vast and she likes to keep to herself."

Calling the Library vast was an underestimation, Ayame soon learned. The room was an impressive sight even in dark. It was three times higher than the rest of the rooms in the first room she'd seen in this mansion. And the room was a size of a small football stadium, with bookshelves rising up to the sailing, and covering most of the floor space too. There must have been hundreds of thousands of books in this room. Only space that hadn't books was the wall in the other end of the library, it was a huge window…with colourful glass decorations, which would leave the Notre Dame's cathedral's windows in shame.

"Wow…" Ayame said finding herself in the loss of words

"Impressive isn't it…" Rikimaru said "The best part of it is that you can loan books as you wish, as long as you write them down on that book there." Rikimaru said gesturing to the left. "It eases our Librarians job."

Ayame looked towards the direction Rikimaru was pointing to, to see a small wooden desk with an old open on top of it. The pages were made of old thick parchment and the covers were made of dark brown leather. Next to it was a bottle of ink and a black feather. Once again medieval, why was the whole mansion stuck to that time period? Ayame wondered flipping trough the pages of the loan book.

There were lots of names in the book and after them there was always a list of books loaned. The names were written in different handwritings, but all markings were written in black ink. One name in particular caught her attention. It was written to the inside of the front cover with big, bold letters: _"Mitsuomi Gohda_"

"Does Matsunoshin have a brother?" Ayame asked

"What?" Rikimaru asked with a weird tone in his voice.

"Master Gohda, does he have a brother? …Is everything ok, Rikimaru?" Ayame asked. Rikimaru's face had gotten totally expressionless, it was almost too blank. As if he had a glass mask over his face, even his golden eye had gotten dimmer. If the eyes were windows to one's soul, something in her words had just closed the curtains of the window to Rikimaru's.

"I'm fine…it's just that I'm not used of hearing his first name." Rikimaru said with a darker tone than he usually spoke. "No, he doesn't have a brother. Why do you ask?" He asked concentrating his golden gaze to her.

"There is a guy with same family name in this book, look." Ayame said pointing the name with her finger.

"Ah, Mitsuomi Gohda was the grand father of the master." Rikimaru answered. "He was a great man in his lifetime."

A hollow, metallic echo of bells could be heard from distance.

"It's late; you should get back to your rooms. I'll show you kitchens tomorrow." Rikimaru said and lead Ayame back to her rooms. He had turned back to the role of the serious, grumpy bodyguard.

"_One day."_ Ayame promised to her self _"…I'm going to break trough that shield of yours and find out what you are hiding." _

**-End of chapter five-

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**

A.N: I know it was a shortie…but I'm in trouble…. I'm lost in my head and seriously thinking about turning this fic a tragedy…. Maybe I should write some kind of romance in this story too… pairing suggestions are welcome…I won't necessarily obey your suggestions, but …please give me ideas….everything is welcome!


	6. Chapter 6

A.N.: Thanks for the feedback!

A.N:…I really hate writing down fighting and training, because it's really hard…it always ends up sounding too short and too easy…ok…after this fic I'm back to writing parodies…I seriously can't write even a semi-serious text….I 've been a quick updater recently cause...right now I don't have a full day job...just a part time job...and I don't have a place to stydy, yet...just entrance exams...that I fail...

Disclaimer: You know the drill…if you don't: go and read the disclaimer from chapter 1…

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**-The hardest kill- **

Ayame woke up with something furry touching her face. Opening her eyes she could see Oni watching her face intensively with those deep red eyes as the cat touched her face with it's little pawn. Ayame was happy that the cat had decided to wake her without using claws.

"Still five more minutes..." She mumbled closing her eyes and burying her head under the pillow. The cat seemed to have other plans for her as it mewed loudly and started to wriggle itself under the pillow too.

Ayame let out a defeated sigh "Fine…I'm up…I'm up." She mumbled moving into a sitting position. She hadn't needed an alarm clock since Oni had moved to her rooms. Somehow the cat always got past the locked door to wake her up.

She glared at her pet. "How did you get in here anyway? I closed the door when I left you to sleep in the living room."

Oni didn't answer her question, just glared back at her with it's glowing red eyes.

Ayame suppressed a yawn and dragged herself to the bathroom. Why was it that every Monday morning she could sleep until the noon, but in Saturdays she was up before dawn?

"_Must be a Murphy's law…"_ She thought, as she filled the bathtub with hot water. Then she turned to the small shelf with different soaps and oils. She wanted a nice smelling bath; no she _needed_ a nice smelling bath this morning. She corrected herself.

It was Monday morning, which meant school, which meant that she needed to get relaxed. She hadn't showed up there over a week, and she just knew that it would take a lot of crawling and begging before the headmaster would take her back to the student list.

She ended up, in a vanilla scented soap bath. Ayame could feel her muscles relax as she slipped in to the steaming hot water. Closing her eyes Ayame inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla, and started to feel better. She was starting to fall in love with her bathtub.

"_I don't know how I would survive without it anymore." _Ayame confessed to herself, as she laid there in her big, beloved tub covered in warm water and vanilla scented bubbles.

Demanding knock from the door yanked her from her happy vanilla scented zombie-state.

"Ayame, if you don't get up now, you're going to be late from school!" Emi shouted trough the door, making a great imitation of an average mother.

"I'm there in a minute!" Ayame shouted back, left a mental farewell to her bath and climbed reluctantly off the tub, and got dressed. She stood in front of the mirror, battling with her hair as her eyes noticed a scar on the side of her neck. It was pretty faint, but looked distinctly like a human bite mark.

"_How on earth did I get this?"_ She wondered tracing the scar with her fingers. Tesshu had said that the amnesia was her mind's way to protect her from what had happened, and her memory would come back when she would be ready.

"_Did I get raped…or robbed?"_ She wondered trying to force her mind to remember.

"_She was walking from her apartment, carrying her stuff. It had taken longer than she had expected. The janitor had changed the lock and gotten himself drunk. It had been already dark when she had entered the forest, but she wasn't scared. That was something the little kids did, and she was an adult. She had been calm, until she saw something ahead of her in the dark dirt road…what_?"

Ayame's memory started to get blurry here…she concentrated harder; she needed to remember, needed to know….

"…_A figure in the dirt road… a man? …yes, there was a man ahead of her…but something was wrong…Something about the way he moved…what? The movement was stiff… jerky…" _

Loud sound of something metallic hitting the floor interrupted her thoughts, making her drop the comb to the floor in surprise. Oni had jumped to the table and accidentally pushed the key of her rooms from the table. Ayame removed her sore hands from the table before her. She had been clutching the table so hard that her finger had turned white, and she hadn't even noticed it.

Looking around for her books and backpack, Ayame realized that her backpack, along with the most of her other possessions; such as some of the schoolbooks had been missing since the day, she had been injured_…_

Mumbling something incomprehensible under her breath Ayame, ran out of her room to the corridor.

She turned to the direction, where she estimated that the front door might be. She wandered along the torch lid hallway, trying to find something recognisable, without success. It didn't take her a long time to realize that she was lost, somewhere in the maze like network of narrow corridors. There were massive stone statues of dragons guarding this hallway, and she was sure that she hadn't encountered them before.

"_Great, just great…"_ she thought and expressed her feelings by sending a spinning kick to one of the dragon statues that stood near the walls.

The statue of a dragon let out a hollow sound and fell. She had thought that the statues were made of solid stone; big stone statues weren't supposed to fell down with a single kick. Ayame backed away till her back was touching a similar statue behind her. Out of curiosity she gave the still standing statue a little push, nothing.

She pushed it a little harder, still nothing. Then she kicked it, like she had kicked the other statue before. The stone dragon didn't even budge, even though Ayame wished for her toes, that she hadn't kicked it quite so hard.

"_So only one of them is different…Why would that be?"_ Ayame thought ignoring her violated toes. Moving closer to the fallen statue, Ayame noted to her relief that the statue hadn't broken. She bent down to pull the hollow statue back up, as the hole in the floor caught her eye. It was right under the spot, where the statue was supposed to be.

Forgetting the statue she crept closer to study the opening better. It had stairs leading down to a black tunnel.

"_Fake statues and hidden stairways, this mansion is becoming weirder every day…"_ Ayame thought as an exited smirk crept to her lips. _"I'm lost anyway, so I can as well, study that tunnel…"_ She told herself, already reaching a torch from the wall.

The opening on the floor was narrow, but as she descended deeper in to the tunnel it got more spacious. In the light of the torch Ayame could see that the floor of the tunnel was covered in dust. No one had walked there in years, maybe even decades. The tunnel was made from the different stone than hallway above; these stones were smaller, rougher and not as evenly placed, like the tunnel had been made in a hurry.

Air was colder and moister in the tunnel, and the floor was slippery. Watching her step carefully, Ayame walked deeper into the darkness. Her heart was beating fast and her hands were shaking with excitement.

"_What I'm going to find in the end of this tunnel? A hidden treasure chamber, maybe or a hidden gateway to …somewhere." _Ayame wondered, her wild imagination getting the best of her.

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Rikimaru was training Gohda, in the garden, behind the manor. The garden was bathing in an early morning sun and smelled fresh. It had rained last night. Rows of white marble statues and tall cherry trees lined the field, which was currently worked as a training-place. Rikimaru was in his true form, now that the human kid was supposedly in her own world, she had school. His true form didn't differ from his human form greatly, he was a tad taller, his ears were a bit bigger and his eye was brighter shade of yellow. The real difference was strength. He was noticeably weaker in his human form. Gohda was in his human form, like always. Rikimaru wasn't even sure did his master have another form, or was his human form also his true form… 

Matsunoshin was becoming better with the twin swords of his, but his skills were nothing compared to Rikimaru himself or Gohda's father. Matsunoshin didn't simply have enough interest to become outstanding.

Rikimaru waited Gohda to attack, and he didn't have to wait long. The boy moved with, speed and ease that challenged some of the younger soldiers. Rikimaru blocked the swishing blades, with a dull training sword and smoothly moved to counter attack. To Gohda's credit Rikimaru had to admit that the young man managed to withdrew his swords fast enough to block Rikimaru's first attack and dodge the second one. As Rikimaru's sword slashed harmlessly the air, where Gohda's head had been a few seconds ago, a playful smirk appeared to Gohda's lips.

"_The kid thinks this is some game."_ Rikimaru realized as Matsunoshin directed a risky kick towards Rikimaru's knees. Rikimaru jumped back and slashed the training sword downwards successfully, giving Gohda a painful reminding of his skills.

"That hurt." Gohda whined, rubbing his sore arm, but his tone wasn't serious. He was playing some stupid game of his once again.

"Serves you right; for not taking, training seriously enough." Rikimaru grunted and unleashed his favourite attack: a series of slashes, followed by two kicks and a mean shoulder thrust. The master of the house managed to block the slashes, but the second kick hit him, and before Gohda new it he was laying other side of the small garden a dull training sword pointed at his throat.

"You need to take the training more seriously, Matsunoshin. Life isn't some game, you can start over when you loose. And there will be opponents that won't hold back, because you are a Lord Gohda of the North." Rikimaru said looking down to the warm black eyes of his master_. "..or because you are half human._" he added in his mind. "They will kill you if they get the chance, do you understand that? He continued.

The boy was smiling a sad little smile, which made him look older than the 22-yars that had experienced. He was barely more than a kid, really, and yet he had been in charge for a kingdom for over 10 years. Some of his own men wanted him dead, because he wasn't pure blooded and over half of the counsellors wanted him to hand over the thrown. He had to have matured pretty quickly. Rikimaru had known the boy since he had moved from the human realm to the mansion 13 years ago to take over his father's kingdom.

At first Rikimaru hadn't liked the idea of babysitting a half-human kid, but something of the kid had reminded Rikimaru of himself as a kid. Maybe it had been the eyes that had seen too much; anyway he had taken the task to watch over a nine-year-old king. And he hadn't regretted it too often.

Rikimaru studied his master: Gohda had a pale skin and his unruly black hair fell to his handsome face like a veil, hiding his eyes. His slender body was dressed in a green hakama pants, and a white-green haori-jacket, a uniform of a high councillor. Matsunoshin Gohda stubbornly refused to dress in to robes of the Lord, telling that he was just replacement of a ruler, not a real one. He was a bit shorter than Rikimaru, but despite his height and slim appearance, he had stability of a fighter.

"Rikimaru…do you still remember what was the original duty uncle Sekiya gave you all those years ago?" Gohda asked in a silent voice, dragging Rikimaru's mind to the harsh reality.

"Yes…" Rikimaru answered, even though he would have gladly forgotten it. He was due to protect Matsunoshin Gohda until his sister Kiku, the true heir of Gohda family, was ready to take the thrown.

Then his duty was to kill Matsunoshin, to prevent any problems he might cause in the future. Such as awkward fights of the position of power, and assassination attempts that might lead the kingdom to a civil war. Rikimaru would kill him also, if the boy would try to harm or prevent Kiku's rise to power, in anyway. That he had promised to Sekiya, when he had met the Gohda the first time. His duty wasn't to serve Matsunoshin but the Gohda-clan.

"I was just thinking that…could you execute me quickly… in my sleep, when the time comes? And let my sister understand that I died in some disease…" Matsunoshin asked and flashed him a fake smile that wouldn't have fooled anyone. He was scared.

"Sure." Rikimaru answered with a voice drained from emotion, if it would ease Gohda's mind, he would promise him moon from the sky, and do his best to get it for him. Rikimaru didn't know why he couldn't ever bring himself to say those words to the kid …or any other kind words, for that matter.

"Thanks …" Gohda mumbled standing up. "…Now I must go and meet Sekiya, as I promised." He said and left to walk towards the manor, leaving Rikimaru alone to the training ground to watch his master's distancing back and to search the words of sympathy he hadn't been able to say...

"_Don't get attached to the kid…It will just make it harder for both of you."_ Sekiya's warning from the past, sounded in Rikimaru's head. Sekiya had told the boy then…no doubt about that. Rikimaru had tried to obey Sekiya's advice, but somehow without realizing exactly when, he had grown harmfully fond of Matsunoshin.

It could take another decade, few years or only weeks, before Kiku would ready to take the thrown by Sekiya's standards. But the day would come…and then Rikimaru had to kill Matsunoshin, and he knew, without a doubt that it would be the hardest kill in his life.

"_How do you kill someone you care for?"_ Rikimaru wondered watching the white clouds slowly moving in the sunny, blue sky. _"How do you get over it, and continue your life as if nothing happened?"_

The hardest questions were always the ones without answers…

-The end of chapter six-


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N**: Ok…first I'd like to say something. I've broken my previous record of reviews! Now I have 13 reviews! YAY! dances around the laptop I want to thank all the reviewers for your kind words. When I first started this fic I prepared my self mentally to flow of flames from angry readers, but none has come so far…I was so sure that I'd managed to enrage someone by now ….

**Special thanks** to **_Seducing Reason_**…who for some unknown reason has sent me feedback from each chapter!bows I promised you kinkiness and you shall have it…a bit… at least. (I've never wrote anything with kinkiness before, so it may be a bit awkward.)

**Warning:** I may have weird errors in the text…please notify me when finding them…so that I can correct them. Sorry and Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** Surprisingly enough…I still do not own Tenchu or any of it's characters….

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**- Some things are best left forgotten -**

Matsunoshin Gohda walked towards the mansion… his sister's mansion. He had acted stupidly. His mask had slipped back there with Rikimaru, he had shown his feelings. Feelings he shouldn't have.

He was already dead… actually he hadn't supposed to live in the first place. There was an unwritten rule not to let half-breeds like him live, but for some unknown whim the previous Lord had decided to let his half-breed bastard live and rule.

Gohda had seen future from Emi's cards, glimpses of it anyway… and knew his time was almost up. Cards never lied… He would die soon.

"_Dying ones should comfort those living on. Lie, if they must." _It was the correct way of dying. _"…never to tell the pain, never to tell the terror."_

But the pain was nevertheless there. A burning feeling deep in his chest, threatening to eat him from the inside, and he was scared… so scared of dying. It was a duty of his, had been for some time. But he didn't want to obey, he wanted to live.

And his ancestors were probably turning in their graves from his impudence. He should be thankful from the time that had been given to him, but he just planned ways to escape his execution.

Gohda inhaled deeply. He didn't want to think about it, he could do nothing to improve the situation anyway. He needed to get out of this house, needed to let out his anger.

He needed to pay a visit to the underground city of Luna…The city of sin. He wouldn't get another chance for the visit so, why not go. The place was definitely dangerous for the human looking half-breeds as him, but that was the reason no one would know him there. What would happen, would happen…simple as that. It was a whish of a dying man.

Feeling a little better Matsunoshin, walked trough the marble garden, to the mansion. First he needed clothes, old; worn out clothes…fitting for a slave …He also needed a pure blooded demon to accompany him. No one well-known; it needed to be someone fitting of a role of a young, rich, bored and adventurous nobleman. And he knew a perfect man for the job.

He headed towards the soldiers quarters, he needed to find Ranmaru. The young soldier would help him to get to Luna.

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Ayame wandered along the underground tunnel, the air was getting colder and thinner as the tunnel went deeper underground. The fire of the torch had died a long time ago, and she had been surrounded by vast darkness. Ayame's school uniform wasn't thick enough to keep her from getting cold, and her hands had slowly gotten numb. She had also started to shiver from the cold. Part of her wanted to turn back, before the shivering would turn to be a permanent aspect of her. 

"_No Ayame, you are most definitely not turning back."_ She told herself grimly _"Not before you know where this tunnel is leading." _She wasn't the quitter type, or at least that's what she kept telling her self.

Walking forward steadily, with more or less numb legs, Ayame thought about her school. The head master wouldn't be happy that she was late; once again…maybe she should just transfer to some other school again. She was in so much trouble with this one, already, that she wasn't sure would she be able to fix it all.

"_I could just tell the headmaster that I'm moving to some other town, or that the school's tuition fees were too much for me to handle. It has worked before."_ Ayame reasoned and failed to notice the down leading stairs before her.

Ayame tumbled down few steps, but somehow managed to regain her balance, and avoiding further injuries by grabbing a hold of the icy stone wall.

"Sometimes it amazes me that I've actually lived this long with the nonexistent sense of balance …" Ayame mumbled under her breath as she carefully continued to walk down the slippery stairs, one step at the time. Her movement wasn't exactly fast, but she had no intention to experience more near-death-experiences anytime soon.

The hallway below the stairs led to a narrower corridor, which was lighted by dim, eerie red light that seemed to come from nowhere. It seemed to shine straight from the dark, roughly sculptured stones, making the ice covered walls glimmer like they'd made from millions of little diamonds.

To Ayame the scenery was both beautiful and threatening.

"_What's wrong with you Ayame? It's just an empty hallway not a fire breathing dragon, for god's sake."_ Ayame told herself trying to calm her rapid heart beat, but the uneasy feeling didn't leave her.

Sturdy wooden doors stood on the corridor, almost unnoticeable, covered in deceiving ice. Ayame stopped in indecision. Should she continue along the hallway, or study what lied behind the closed doors. A bone chilling wind that blew along the narrowing corridor saved her from long decision making. With numb hands Ayame took a tight grip on ice covered iron handle, trying to open the door closest to her.

It took several tries before she got the door to move, because the door was heavy and her hands were shaking almost uncontrollably from the cold and excitement. Pulling from the iron handle as hard as she could, Ayame got the door to move a few inches. The old door let out a creaking sound that reminded her of several B-level horror movies.

The wind on the corridor seemed to become stronger and cooler, like someone would have opened a door to Antarctica in the other end of the hallway. Ayame tried to peek to the other side of the door, from the small gap between the wall and the door, but it was too dark to actually see anything.

Ignoring the feeling that told her to leave the hallway and flee back to the warm safety of the mansion above, Ayame took a better hold of the handle and pulled. The door let out a wailing sound and moved a bit more. Now the gap between the door and the wall was big enough to Ayame to squeeze trough.

The empty stone room was noticeably warmer and darker than the corridor, but the threatening feeling, that had bothered her before was getting stronger again. Ayame studied her surroundings, but there were nothing threatening in the room, just dust and a pile of junk on the other end of the room. Sighing deep to calm her overactive imagination she wandered to take a closer look of the junk.

A closer examination revealed that the junk was actually a pile of bones and sturdy looking chains. The chains were made from some dark metal, just like the door handle. The room could have been a dungeon except the fact that there was no lock on the door. Shaking her head in confusion, Ayame walked to the chains and tried to lift one. With all her strength she couldn't even move it; suddenly it was very clear why the door didn't have a lock. It didn't need one. If the chains were sturdy enough to keep a raging T-rex in place, why bother to place a lock in the door?

Something of this room was very familiar to her. She was sure she'd seen this room before, or at least something very similar. But how …and when?

Unless she'd been here when she'd got injured it wasn't possible. …and the theory of her being here while injured didn't make any sense either. It left too many holes in the story like the fact that she'd been found out side the manor. Her memories stopped in the forest on the figure on road before her. The figure…she was quite sure it had been a man…but there was something in the figure that bothered her….something important…

"The movement ….it is wrong…" Ayame mumbled to herself

Once again a sound of something metallic dropping against the stone, snapped Ayame from her memories. She looked around her, but saw nothing, that would have explained the sound. She must have imagined it.

"_Congratulations, now you are officially going mad… you are already hearing voices…"_ She thought to herself, letting out a little nervous laugh. Then she heard the sound again. It came from the hallway outside the dungeon, closer this time.

Ayame stood there completely still, listening the steady voice of iron hitting the icy stones, that was getting closer and closer to the small room. A part of her wanted to desperately open her eyes and notice that she'd been dreaming all along, and other part wanted to peek to the hallway to see what was making that noise.

Before Ayame could choose what she should do, the sturdy dungeon door exploded in to pieces, and a dark shadow filled the door way. The figure in the doorway was covered in western style of armour from head to toe, and holding a sharp looking, huge sword that was probably responsible from the broken door.

Taking a step backwards Ayame looked as a huge armoured figure stepped to the small dungeon room, and raised it's sword to an attacking position.

Ayame dodged down just in time. The huge western sword swished air, right above her making sending sparkles in the air as it slide along the stone wall, and leaving a deep cut to the sark grey stone.

Ayame hadn't time to think. She sent a low kick towards the armoured feet to get her opponent off-balance. It wasn't much of an attack, but she wanted to buy enough time to flee. Her feet found the armoured knee, and hit it hard. The armour made a hollow sound and collapsed to the ground. The Helmet dropped to the ground revealing an empty inside of the armour.

Ayame froze to her steps in shock and her mouth fell open, but she didn't have time to get anything sensible out from her mouth as the empty armour searched its helmet and placed it back to its place. When the empty suit of armour lifted it's sword with both hands and charged towards her, Ayame finally got her feet to work.

Dodging the swing of the enormous sword only by inches Ayame dashed from the small room as fast as could. Ayame would have wanted to ask a question or two, about what she had just seen, but she knew that now she hadn't time for that. She didn't need to look back to see that the empty suit of armour was right behind her. The sound of iron boots hitting against the stone floor was more than enough.

Ayame ran along the icy corridor as fast as she could, but the suit of armour was faster than she was. The steps were coming closer every second. Corridor ahead of her was turning right and narrowing dangerously. Not enough space to dodge the strikes, if and when the suit of armour would catch her.

"_I need a diversion…or a miracle…and I need it fast."_

Then suddenly the sound of iron boots hitting the stone floor stopped completely. Ayame glanced over her left shoulder, still running, to see the suit of armour standing near in the middle of hallway looking straight past her. Turning her face back to the direction she was heading. Ayame saw a figure of man walking towards her in a narrow hallway.

Ayame stopped. Something told Ayame that she'd met him before…the man before her was familiar. He was dressed in shredded black clothes that were a huge contrast to his pale skin. He had long raven black, that hair hid most of his face, but wasn't enough to hide the glowing red eyes that looked straight to hers.

Ayame looked deep to his blood red eyes and …suddenly she remembered, all of it: the spirits, the mausoleum, the mirror and the dungeon. She remembered him, and every fiber of her being screamed in terror.

"You…" Ayame breathed out as she looked the glowing eyed monster before her. Ayame's hand instinctively fled to the bite mark of her neck.

"So, you DO remember me. I was getting worried that you'd loose your memory completely." The monster said in a deep voice, smirking cockily and walking closer in the eerily lit stone corridor.

Ayame took a step back, but couldn't escape. The empty, murderous suit of armour was still behind her in the sparkling corridor…and there just wasn't enough space to get past it alive. She'd die to this red coloured hallway, middle of ice diamonds. And no one would know where to come look for her.

Straightening up, mentally and physically Ayame took a step closer to the pale man. She was going to fight to the bitter end. She knew that she couldn't take him to the underworld with her. She Remember how easily the man had moved in those strong, chains, but at least she'd die trying.

"You ready to die, girl?" Monster asked it eyes glowing with amusement.

"If that's what it takes." Ayame answered and was a bit surprised to notice that her voice didn't shiver as she spoke. She looked the stranger's eyes challengingly.

"You seem to have grown your self a spine….last time I saw you. You were all weepy." The man said with an almost teasing tone in his voice.

"Well, let's just say that that murderous living dead…might that effect to normal people, when they first meet them." Ayame answered back with equal lightness, and was rewarded with a surprised look from him.

"Just to save some time…are you going to kill me, or not?" Ayame asked with faked lightness in her voice. She was scared to death, but she sure as hell wasn't going to give this guy the pleasure of knowing that.

The man with red eyes moved so fast, that to her, he simply seemed to disappear in front of her and just suddenly appear behind her. Ayame let out a surprised gasp, as he trapped her hands above her head with one hand and pulled her against his muscular body with other. Ayame tried to wriggle away from him, but he just moved his other hand to her neck.

"Be a good girl and don't fight back, you'll just get hurt." He whispered to her ear, bending closer.

She could feel his breath in her neck as he pressed his lips to the base of her neck. It took Ayame a moment to realize that he wasn't drinking her blood, but kissing her.

Ayame's heartbeat became so rapid that she was afraid that this man….this monster could hear it's fluttering. She didn't want to let him know, how much power he had over her.

"You smell so good …and your blood, it's singing to, me calling to me beneath your skin." The monster murmured to her ear in a husky voice that was much more suitable between lovers than enemies.

The man planted another kiss on the base of her neck, causing her to shiver. His hand was wandering along her body, and his touch was as soft as feather's. He felt so warm and strong against her back. Suddenly, Ayame was more scared by the hunger and the longing that his actions were causing her to feel, than she was scared of the man himself.

"Don't touch me …please" Ayame gasped in a silent voice.

"Hmm? Why not? You want it…and you belong to me…in more ways than you know." Man answered snaking his hand around her and turning her around to face him.

His free hand wandered up her body to gently rest on her neck. He was bent over her so close to her face that their lips were almost touching and she couldn't bring her self to fight this man. It felt like he had made her resistance melt a way. Ayame closed her eyes to gather her thoughts that seemed to have scattered like pile of feathers in the wind.

"I shouldn't do this….it's wrong ...it's …" But her thoughts fled from her as Ayame felt the man pressing his lips against hers. The kiss was soft and gentle as a touch of a butterfly.

"How could a man like him have such soft lips?" Ayame wondered briefly, before surrending to the overcoming passion. She didn't know when the man had moved his hands from hers, but now they were under the shirt of her school uniform skilfully fondling her breasts.

Ayame gasped in pleasure breaking the kiss, but the man soon found her lips again. He stroked her lips gently with his tongue, touching her tongue with his. Forgetting everything else Ayame answered the kiss, running her fingers to his neck and along his muscular back. The kiss broke for a moment, just to continue more heated than before.

It felt like he was trying to devour her, but Ayame didn't care, she just answered to him with equal passion. Ayame explored his mouth, like he explored hers. She didn't think of escaping anymore, actually she didn't think of anything.

Ayame stroked him with her hands, when the man lowered his head to press his mouth to the old bite mark. Ayame hardly noticed how his sharp teeth pierced her neck, licking blood from the wound.

Then suddenly he stepped away from her, leaving Ayame to stand there out of breath and literally shivering from the need.

**-The end of chapter seven-**

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…Felt like that was a good point to stop….will or will not be continued in chapter 8…This chapter was written in one night between 22pm and 4 am…so it may have a lot of errors and stuff that doesn't make any sense in it…

Insignificant information:

I have to invent a new synonym to word 'then'….I feel like every other word in my fic is 'then' like this: Then came autumn….then he went…the she …then came the dog….and on and on like that…. it's frustrating -sigh-

Well…anyway I've decided that I'll use unusual pairings in this, fic…just because I can. Main pairing will be Oni/Aya…please review.


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N :** Sorry for the delay…It took me a long time to update because I just couldn't get anything remotely intelligent on the paper in weeks. I've written and re-written this chapter from different point of views over 5 times…sometimes it just doesn't work….this chapter is a great example…it's written from 3 different POV's…

Thanks to **Seducing Reason** and **Kill GoGo Yubari** (my loyal reviewers) and **Riki** (who doesn't review but makes phone calls instead) and every other reviewer too, without your reviews and advices I would have probably abandoned this fic after chapter 4…but now I want to write my story to the end. (even though it might take a while….)

You can also think it as an unfortunate turn of events if you wish….

Whatever you do, please do not stop giving me advices, constructive criticism has always been the best way to learn!

**Disclaimer:** Author Girl in a cup doesn't own the Tenchu, actually she even own the lap top she is using, so why sue her? There are people with more money to lose everywhere around you…sue them.

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- The heat -**

Matsunoshin Gohda was sneaking away from his duties, in the maze of tunnels below the Gohda mansion. He had come across the forgotten tunnels few years ago. Sometimes even clumsiness could be considered as a blessing. People don't usually pay attention to mirrors, but in Gohda mansion mirrors were often doorways to forgotten places. Like these underground dungeons, no one but he knew of their existence. At least if judged it by the amount of dust.

He was trying to sneak to the western tunnel that led to the forest around the mansion. He had to cross the mortal realm in order to get to the hidden city of Luna, unnoticed. The young soldier had refused to accompany him, because of his duties.

"_Well, maybe it's for the best to go alone…"_ Gohda thought caressing the cold stone wall with his fingers. Sometimes the life seemed so unreal to him. He knew he would be executed in two weeks, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it.

"_Will I just wake up and notice that I've been dreaming the whole time? Is my life just a dream?" _The thought was soothing and disturbing, but the wall was real. The cold stone felt rough against his fingertips.

Sighing deep he forced his mind to think about the city of Luna instead. The city was a hideout to criminals and runaways. It was known as "City of Sin" or "The Hidden City". He had heard it from a young soldier long ago. It was a place where law didn't reach, where stealing was the most honest of jobs. The city of Luna called him, like fire called moths.

He was passing the red corridor when he heard voices. Red corridor had gotten its name from the magical red light that illuminated the tunnel. It was colder than other tunnels and covered in ice that never melted.

"_There is someone here? …Who and what is he or she doing here?"_ Matsunoshin wondered as he listened the faint voices coming from the red corridor. There was more than one voice, so there were at least two people down in the tunnels with him.

Sneaking closer Matsunoshin drew his sword from it's sheath. He didn't know whether the voices belonged to friend or foe, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

The voices stopped as he got closer.

"_Did they notice me?"_ Gohda wondered creeping closer as silently as he could. He took a tighter grip from the hilt of his sword and pressed his back against the wall.

In the eerie red light he saw two figures in the narrow corridor. The figures were pressed against each other so tightly that he almost mistook them as a one creature. The other one was his newest employee Ayame. The human girl was in the arms of tall man with a long black hair. His hands roamed under her shirt and their lips were locked into a heated kiss.

"_It seems that she has found herself a friend…"_ Gohda thought absentmindedly, lowering his sword.

He was about to turn and leave the pair alone, when the man suddenly stepped away from the girl and looked straight towards Gohda.

"Who's there? Show your self." The man ordered in husky voice, smoothly stepping between Gohda and Ayame.

Gohda stepped out from the shadows staring the man before him. He stood head and shoulders taller than Gohda. He was almost as tall as Tatsumaru. His skin was pale and his red eyes glared him wildly. He wasn't human, not that it would have surprised Gohda too much. There weren't too many humans inside his mansion, only one. The fact that he didn't seem to recognize Gohda was more surprising.

"Actually that's my question." Gohda answered evading his question.

"How do you dare to answer me like that, you filthy half breed?" The man snarled between his teeth and lunged forward.

The man was fast, but Gohda wasn't slow either, he dodged the taller man's attack with and raised his sword to an attack. He dashed towards the arrogant stranger. Gohda didn't want to kill the stranger, just to push him back enough to make the pale man talk.

The man didn't seem to move at all, but managed to avoid all of Gohda's strikes and knock the sword from his hand. The blade slide from his hand to the icy floor, but Gohda didn't have enough time to retrieve it as the taller man attacked with a high kick.

Gohda dropped to the floor dodging the kick that shattered the dungeon door behind him. The door was made from an enchanted wood, but the kick tore it apart like it would have been made of paper.

"_This guy is strong…stronger than me…maybe even stronger than Rikimaru."_ Gohda realized as he lifted himself up. "I need to get my sword back otherwise I don't have a chance."

"Don't even think about getting that sword back… didn't you know that it is forbidden for a half-breed scum like you to wield a sword?" The man asked in a voice full of disgust.

Gohda smirked. "You clearly aren't from here, are you…?"

The man answered his question by sending a three kick combo towards him. Gohda was barely able to dodge the first two and the third one got him off balance long enough for the taller man to pin him against the wall.

"Beg me for forgiveness and I shall kill you quickly half-breed." The man snarled to his ear while curling his long fingers around Gohda's throat and lifting him from the ground. His legs kicked the air uselessly as he used to twist the stranger's hands from his throat. The other man didn't seem to even acknowledge his struggling.

The grip around his neck was too tight to breathe, but he wasn't going to beg anything from anyone in his mansion.

Matsunoshin Gohda didn't usually like to use his magical abilities in a fight.

He had reasons: First of all he didn't have a complete control of his abilities, which made the magic using hard.

Secondly, he had to draw the energy from himself, which left him exhausted afterwards. And calculating the right amount of energy wasn't easy. Too little power and the spell wouldn't work…Too much and the magic would destroy him along everything around him.

Another reason was his cursed blood. Even though he had been given magical abilities, his half human body wasn't strong enough to hold them. The power ate his body from the inside bit by bit every time he used it.

But there were times he didn't really care for the consequences all that much.

"Sorry, I don't have time to meet the reaper today. I've got a busy schedule." Gohda whispered closing his eyes and concentrated to gathering the energy from his body.

A burning sensation filled his chest making him forget the pain in his throat, but he needed every drop of energy he could gather to defeat the glowing eyed demon that was choking him. The pain from his chest had turned from strong to excruciating, when he finally unleashed the power.

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Ayame was petrified. Every fibre of her brain demanded her to do something… anything, but her body just stood still as she watched how the stranger pinned the master of the house against the wall and lifted him from the ground.

And the worst thing was that secretly, deep in herself she wanted those strong hands to be touching her instead of the master of the house.

"_Get a grip girl. He is a monster not Mr. Right or even Mr. Will Do for Now." _She reasoned trying to suppress the longing inside her.

"Beg me for forgiveness and I shall kill you quickly half-breed." The red-eyed stranger demanded, and his deep voice sent shivers down Ayame's spine. But the master Gohda just glared with his cold eyes and tried to twist the strong hand from his neck. He had no chance and soon stopped fighting.

"_Did he pass out or did he just surrender?"_ Ayame wondered worriedly.

Gohda hanged there unmoving for a time that felt like an eternity, but couldn't be longer than a few seconds, before he opened his mouth.

"Sorry, I don't have time to meet the reaper today. I've got a busy schedule." He whispered almost inaudibly.

"_What the hell is he doing? Is he trying to fucking kill himself!"_ Ayame cursed mentally, as the wall behind master Gohda started glow.

For a moment the stone wall was so bright that the light burned her eyes. Then the thick stone wall exploded with a sound that threatened to deafen her. The shock wave threw her on the floor and emptied her lungs from air. Ayame gasped for air and curled as small as she could. She even raised hands to cover her face as she desperately tried to defend herself from the raining stones.

Ayame laid there waiting a strike to come, but instead of pain she felt a pair of strong hands snatching her from the floor. Those big warm hands pressed her against a wide chest protectively, and she felt safer than ever before. A part of her just wanted keep her eyes closed and stay there forever, but she couldn't do that.

Opening her eyes Ayame saw the red-eyed stranger looking down on her with almost tender look in his eyes. She almost lost herself to those crimson eyes before she saw the injuries in his arms and shoulders.

"_He blocked the stones with his own body…! Why?"_ Ayame wondered gazing deep in to those red eyes than hid so much from the world.

"Ah…I made a little miscalculation…but you protected her…that's good. It seems that you care for her …or is it just the bond?" A deep voice wondered somewhere behind the wide chest. It was Gohda's voice but it was somehow different. It was colder and stronger than before.

The stranger turned around to meet his opponent. Ayame gasped aloud as he saw the effects of the spell. Where there had once been a narrow corridor with sturdy stone walls was now a large opening, and in the middle of that opening stood Matsunoshin Gohda.

His black hair was as unruly as ever and his skin looked paler than before, but the black eyes were cold and confident and the air around him seemed electrified. He looked every bit like the Master of the House.

"You didn't think that you could really hide it, did you?" The master of the house asked in an amused voice. "Anyone with the slightest ability of magic could see it. It's like a red string of destiny that binds you to her."

Ayame must have looked confused, because Gohda shifted his piercing gaze to her. Those black eyes seemed to see right trough her.

"You didn't even know about it, did you?" Gohda asked studying her with those all seeing eyes.

"Know what? What are you talking about?" Ayame asked in a voice, which she hoped to sound confident.

"Your faith has been tied to his with a strong, ancient magic, stronger than mine. It's complicated to explain but you need to stay close to him and he needs to stay close to you." Gohda explained in a softer voice. "I had thought of kicking him out of the mansion as a punishment of attacking me, but I can't do that without kicking you out as well…so instead of that I think I'll give him a collar."

"A collar…?" Ayame asked but was interrupted by the man holding her.

"With what power half-breed!" The taller man snarled pressing Ayame tighter against his chest.

"With the power granted to me, the same power I showed you a while ago." Gohda said in a dangerous tone and Ayame felt how the muscles stiffened in the hands that still held her tightly.

"What's the matter? Can't you move?" Gohda asked as the red-eyed man let out an enraged scream.

"You …How? Who..?" The other man struggled with words, as Gohda walked closer with a triumphant grin.

"Yes, I thought that the spell worked splendidly as well. You should be happy. This collar will let you move freely in the mansion in your true form. It'll mark you as Ayame's pet and thus you are with her responsibility and under my protection." Gohda said silently as he placed his finger's to the taller man's neck.

A shining white light formed silver medallion around the pale neck, it was similar to the one Gohda had given to Ayame earlier.

"Don't bother trying to take it off, you'd just hurt your self. Only I or Ayame can take it off." Gohda sighed and turned around. "I have a meeting elsewhere …so I must leave you. And to the question you asked earlier…My name is Matsunoshin Gohda, Lord of the North and the Master of the House." He said disappearing into the darkness.

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Onikage looked after the distancing back of the Half-breed Lord.

"So that was the heir of Mitsuomi. The man I must kill…" He thought squeezing the girl tighter against himself.

The little human girl had stolen a place in his heart. A place he didn't even know existing. He wasn't exactly sure when it had happened, but the human wouldn't leave his thought. Partly it was because she was in heat, but there was something else too, an aching in his heart. He had realized it earlier this day.

_----(Flash back)----_

Onikage watched with his cat eyes how the girl slept in her bed under the thick blankets. She had left her room yesterday, and when she had come back she had reeked of that silver haired ninja, with dog-ears. It had driven him angry, and he wasn't sure why. It wasn't entirely because of the genuine hatred towards Gohda's goons.

"_Could it be jealousy?_" He wondered _"Not a fucking likely, she is human…she is meal, nothing more." _He knew that wasn't exactly true. He no longer thought her as a food; he just didn't know what had changed.

He studied her sleeping face. She was so young and beautiful, and caring at least to his cat form. That led Onikage to think about his current situation. He was trapped to enemy's headquarters in a cat form, and he hadn't been able to locate Mitsuomi despite his attempts. He had been in this mansion over a week, and thus far he hadn't seen a glimpse of Mitsuomi Gohda. Mitsuomi was the one, who had trapped him into a dungeon for centuries to starve and rot… and bonded him to a mortal girl with a curse.

The worst thing however was the decision to turn in to a cat.

He regretted many things he had done in the past, but there weren't many things he regretted more than the decision to turn in to a form of cat. Yes, he was willing to admit that at the time it had seemed a very good idea. Cats were common sight in the Gohda mansion, so it wouldn't be anything that would draw unwanted attention. As a cat he was small enough to sneak around unnoticeably, and nobody would consider a black kitten threatening in anyway.

He had forgotten one simple thing, the primitive instincts and needs of the cat. They had come along with the form and mixed with his unconsciousness. Thus he had not one, but two intruding consciousness throbbing at the back of his mind.

Fortunately the girl's consciousness was almost unnoticeable most of the time. He always knew exactly where she was, but other than that the link between them was dead. And it would continue to act dead unless the girl would face danger, or that's what he suspected.

The link to the cat's primitive consciousness was different thing altogether. The cat wasn't a good-natured and submissive. It wanted to be in charge and was more than ready to attack anything or anybody it considered as an enemy. It didn't seem to realize that most of the creatures it considered as enemies were easily twenty times bigger. Good example was the meeting with the dog-smelling silver haired ninja. The cat had been ready to dig the only golden eye straight from his face, if he would have come any closer.

There were also all these small things that had driven him on the edge of transforming back to a vampire several times. One of them was purring, Onikage hadn't words to describe how much it annoyed him. The girl didn't have to do anything but pet him a little, and the purring would just start on it's own. He couldn't do anything to prevent it and he didn't know how to stop it. It frustrated him to no end.

He enjoyed the petting as much as the cat did, maybe even more, but was it necessary to declare it to the whole world?

The cat's part of consciousness it reflected the human as an odd mix between a female cat and comfortable place to sleep. And even though cats weren't monogamous by nature the slow blending of the cat's primitive instincts with his own, had made the cat and him overprotective and possessive when it came to the girl.

He didn't know when he had become so attached to the helpless little human, and he wasn't sure was it for the good or the worse.

Onikage raised his little pawn to touch her cheek as a mark of affection, she couldn't understand. The girl opened her beautiful dark eyes and mumbled something about 5 minutes, before burying her head under the pillow, trying to hide from the dawn. She clearly wasn't a morning person.

Onikage wondered a moment should he let her sleep for a moment, but decided otherwise. He was starting to get bored.

"_Wake up!"_ He shouted, or tried …as it came out as a loud 'mew' and tried to find way under the pillow too.

The girl took the hint and sighed deep mumbling something incomprehensible under her bed. Slowly she got herself to a sitting position, and glared him.

"How did you get in here anyway? I closed the door when I left you to sleep in the living room." She asked with a voice still thick from the sleep.

Onikage wanted to ask, if she really thought that the pathetic lock of the door was enough to stop him, but decided to keep his mouth shut and just glared back to her. Suppressing a yawn she threw the blankets away and stood up. She was dressed to some kind of short nightgown, that wasn't enough to cover the striking beauty of her body. He could have watched her whole day.

Onikage had always found her good smelling, but today her smell was more powerful than before and it was spiked…it was almost too seducing like she would be in heat.

"Oh my fucking god…She is in heat" Onikage cursed in his head. The cat's desired burned in his mind making it hard enough to breathe let alone think clearly. "Shit! This is bad….ok…concentrate. You need to get away from her 'till this is over." He could smell vanilla from the bathroom…the sweet smell dimmed the seducing scent of the human a bit, but not enough.

Before he got decided where he should flee, a sharp knock was heard from the door.

"Ayame, if you don't get up now, you're going to be late from school!" Emi's voice called from the other side of the room, scaring the living shit out of him. If there was a person she was more afraid of than Master Mei Oh …it was that woman.

It took him a moment to understand that she wasn't going to barge in; she had just come to remind the human of school, whatever that was.

Later the girl stepped out of the bathroom, clothed to some sort of uniform. She walked to living room to comb her hair. Onikage couldn't help himself, but watched as she tried to get the comb trough her thick, raven black hair. Her smell had hypnotized him and he involuntarily came closer. He had to use all of his self-control, not to turn to his own form and ravage her straight then and there.

Suddenly the girl froze looking in the mirror, and lifted her hand to touch the base of her neck. She was touching the bite mark, Onikage realized.

"_My mark…"_ A primitive part of him noted with a satisfied tone.

The link between him and the girl awakened at last, as the girl tried to focus something. Whatever she was thinking wasn't nice, as the bundle of feelings started to throb in his mind. He needed to stop it…he needed to get away from her quickly, while he could still control himself.

The human's distress was growing by every moment, and so did the throbbing bundle of feelings in his head, jumping gracefully to the table Onikage let the metal key to fall on the floor. The sudden sound surprised the girl badly enough to yank her from her thoughts. She dropped the comb from her hand and loosened her grip of the table – studying her pale fingers in disbelief.

The girl's eyes wandered from her hand to the room, as if she was looking for something. Then without a warning the girl dashed out of the room, like it would have been on fire, mumbling something under her breath.

She didn't even shut the door behind her as she dashed to the hallway. Onikage took the open door as an invitation to leave the room. Heading to the opposite direction as a girl, Onikage wandered towards the kitchens.

Briefly he thought about transforming back to his own body, but decided otherwise as a croup of young soldiers dashed past him. No need to wake up the angry bear before it's absolutely necessary. As he came to the kitchen door a pair of delicate hands scooped him from the floor.

"Nice to see you Oni dear…" Mimi chirped in her girly voice "I've waited an opportunity to speak with you in private for some time. It's about Mitsuomi… " She said making sure that he was interested enough to listen. And with that she carried him back to Ayame's room.

Closing the door behind her Mimi dropped him on the floor. She was a deceivingly fragile looking. She was easily two heads shorter than her sister; almost sickly thin and her complexion was whiter shade of pale than his. Her long blonde hair, flowing clothes and big blue eyes, gave the impression of helplessness, which couldn't be further from the truth. She was witty and ruthless - ad willing to do whatever necessary.

"Now, I'm not sure do you realize that it's been over 200 years from the day of your capture. Things have changed. Mitsuomi is no longer alive…" She told in a quiet voice. "… There aren't many who still remembers the war, not anymore … just a handful, including my sister, Tatsumaru and Sekiya …" She stopped, thinking how to continue

"Nowadays the Gohda mansion is ruled by Mitsuomi's grandson…good-for-nothing half-breed bastard…" A cold fire had started to burn in her ice-blue eyes, when she had mentioned the half-breed, and her face had twisted to express pure disgust.

"I have a proposition for you: Kill the half-breed and I tell you how to break the bond between you and the mortal." Mimi said, and her voice was like a breath of closing grave.

Apparently Onikage couldn't hide his surprise from the pale witch as she watched him in amusement.

"Anyone with smallest magical abilities could have seen that bond… and it's getting stronger. But I wasn't finished yet, Kill the half-breed and not only will I tell you how to break the bond, but I'll also give you 3 hours to take what you want and leave the mansion, before I'll note the guards… it's more time that you need. Do we have a deal?" The smile on her lips could have been beautiful, if her eyes hadn't burn from madness.

Onikage wondered her motives. He had betrayed Mimi and her allies in the war, many years ago and personally tortured many of her family to death. Why was the death of the half-breed important enough, to place all that aside?

Onikage looked Mimi's madness-filled eyes with his piercing cat eyes and nodded sharply in agreement. Even if it was a trap, the chance was too good to pass by.

"Good, now that it's settled I need to give you something." Mimi said and placed her hand to his back, chanting some spell on him. Onikage didn't understand the old language much, but enough to realize that it was some kind of timer.

"I'd give you a charmed medallion that would protect you from the guards if I could, but only the current head of the house can do that. You just have to be extra careful and move only in your cat form. This spell works like an alarm, it'll let me know when you have spilled the blood of Gohda, and starts the 3 hour countdown. Do you understand?" She asked seriously

Onikage nodded again. Mimi clapped her hands like a child and smiled happily, like she could burst to a giggles anytime. As she opened the door she looked him over her shoulder.

"You know, you were so helpful to me that I'll tell you something…the human child has lost her medallion, and if you want to keep her as your pet you'd better find her quickly." Mimi chirped cheerfully.

For the first time Onikage was thankful of the consciousness that told him that the girl was still alive and well. He concentrated to the feeling of her presence somewhere east of him.

Onikage didn't waste a moment as he rushed after her to the maze of hallways, following her seducing scent as much as the guidance of the unnatural radar in his mind.

_----(End of flash back)----_

* * *

Matsunoshin Gohda strode quickly towards the darkest and narrowest tunnels in the underground maze. Using of magic dulled the pain, but only for a moment. He knew it would come back ten fold before the night would be over.

"_I need to get far away from them before the pain comes. I can't let them know my weakness."_ Gohda thought walking along the maze of narrow corridors as fast as he could. The old wounds were already opening and he had to lean to the wall for support.

"_I haven't held that much magic that long ever before…And now I'll pay for my cursed blood…"_ Gohda thought when a burning pain unleashed it's full fury inside his chest.

His legs betrayed beneath him and he fell to his knees on the stone floor. His inside felt like they would be in fire and he didn't even notice how the old wounds opened soaking his clothes in blood.

A tortured cream escaped from his lips as the unnatural fire burned relentlessly his body. The blood mixed into cold sweat as the convulsions shake his body. If Gohda would have been able to think clearly he would have been thankful when the merciful blackness finally took him.

**- The end of chapter eight –**

* * *

A.N: Bad news…I'm doomed…I've lost my English dictionary! I can't write without it…. at all…It seems that I have to buy a new one…I harder to check errors without dictionary…so this chapter probably has more errors than the previous ones…I might even use wrong words…SORRY!

And don't worry I'll explain the Ayame's heat thing later on…

About the Oni +Aya pairing…I don't know will it evolve into fluff…my method of writing is to write whatever feels best at the moment and it's usually different everyday… so I just have to write a chapter in one night and post it before I decide to change something…

You probably have to wait chapter 9 a long time too…because I got a job.

**Oh, and I'd like to know your opinion on Gohda's destiny…should I kill him or not? It'll affect a story a bit…but not much…Review and tell me should he live or die… **


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's notes:** I got my self a beta-reader! …or is it beta-writer…anyway… **Seducing Reason** was kind enough to become my beta-reader and sacrifice some of her personal time to make sure that this fic is readable. THANK YOU! (so it's because of my new beta-writer if the fic get's better … )

**Thanks to both reviewers! **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tenchu…I do not know who owns it, but it's not me…

**

* * *

- The third mark - **

Ayame slept restlessly in her bedroom in the Gohda mansion. The wide bed didn't seem big enough for her as she tossed and turned in her sleep, kicking the luxurious blankets on to the icy cold floor tiles.

A silent wail escaped from her lips as the door separating her small bedroom from the living room opened. Onikage stood on the door way, looking at the silvery, moonlit painted shadows that danced on the girl's tormented face. A lonely tear ran along her cheek as the mute sobs shook her petite body.

He had woken to the feeling of distress that had slowly oozed into his consciousness trough the link he shared with her. The feeling had been so pressing that he had decided to see what was upsetting her so much, and he transformed back to his own form. The worry over the girl had overthrown his fear of losing control.

It wasn't like him to worry about others. He did what he did for himself and himself alone. He had sworn servitude to Lord Mei Oh at one time, but even that allegiance served his own purposes in the end. In Mei Oh's servitude Onikage had been granted powers that no commoner could ever dream of achieving. He was practically immortal and his strength rivaled Mei Oh's, and the mere loss of his personal freedom had been a small price to pay.

Now, hundreds of years later he found himself to be bound to a fleshling girl, without a drop of his former glory left. Yet despite of all his power he couldn't break free from the girl and it was frustrating beyond words. To make things worse for him the filthy Half-breed-offspring of Mitsuomi had handed the rest of his freedom to the girl on a silver plate.

The only upside was that the girl was completely unaware of the link between them, and thus unaware of the power she had over him. He couldn't kill her, of course, but maybe he could use her.

The residents of the house trusted in her greatly; the meeting with the half-breed bastard had proven that. If they got the idea of him being completely under her control, their distrust would gradually shift away and he could easily have his revenge on the Mitsuomi's heir. The boy was strong in magic, but without it he was as threatening as a newborn baby. And Onikage knew certain herbs that would make it impossible for the half-breed to chant his spells. After killing him, the witch would break the curse and free him from the human.

His plan required a lot of patience, but that wouldn't be a problem. Onikage had awaited his revenge for centuries; a couple more months wouldn't be an obstacle.

He had been sleeping in the living room on a tasteless, overly fragile looking chair that had ridiculously thin velvet covering. It had been almost too small even for his cat form to sleep. The only reason he had even considered sleeping there was the girl's current situation. He wanted to be near enough to her to smell her seducing scent, which threatened to destroy the little sanity left in him.

Onikage could detect that faint scent even now, as he stood in the doorway. The scent caused an unwanted clinging feeling inside him. She was a mortal, and thus more worthless than the cattle she fed upon. He knew this, but still the fleshling girl's vexing brown eyes staring fearlessly wouldn't leave his memory.. She had known that she was weaker than him, that he could have killed her any moment, but she had neither given up nor begged. She had stood in her place, staring challengingly into his eyes, like he should have been the one who should give up.

Presently, a cold breeze moved the long white satin drapes disturbing Onikage from his thoughts. He hadn't even noticed how chilly the room was before. The pale blue floor tiles felt frigid to his bare feet.

'_She must have opened the window before falling to sleep.' _He mused absentmindedly as he walked to the window and closed it. The old window frame let out a creaking sound as he forced it back to it's place. The sound was obnoxiously loud in the quiet room and Onikage spun around to see if the girl had woken to the sudden noise.

She lay looking helpless in the middle of her enormous bed shivering from the cold and mumbling something in a small voice. Thankfully, her eyes stayed closed and her breathing was steady. She was still fast asleep.

Onikage let out a deep breath he hadn't even noticed he was holding, and reached down to retrieve the blanket she had dropped. The thin, white night gown really wasn't enough to keep her warm, and for some unknown reason Onikage found himself unable to leave her shivering like that. It gave him a slight pause.

'_It's just because she's in heat...'_ Onikage assured himself. He needed to get out of this room, before her scent would dim his mind completely.

As he bent over the bed to wrap the thick blanket around her, the girl shifted in her sleep, trapping his hand against her chest in the process. Her warmth radiated trough the thin fabric of her nightgown, and it was obvious enough to him that she was naked under the cloth. Onikage felt a dangerous tingling in his groin, as rational thought began to desert him in the moment he needed it most.

He moved his free hand to caress the soft skin of her neck near the two bite marks.

_"One mark more and no one would dare to touch her without my permission."_ Onikage thought as he ran his fingers along the scar tissue as the girl murmured softly in her sleep. Her little voice broke the charm and Onikage snatched his free hand back from her, as though it were on fire. His mind began to race.

'_Here I am, trying to maintain an inhuman amount of self-control, and look what fucking happens! I get trapped in a fucking bed with a nearly nude human in heat. God, if you exist, you have a fucking cruel sense of humor.'_ Onikage thought bitterly, cursing every possible form of a higher force he could think of.

It had been a mistake to return to his original form. Even though the girl's captivating scent was much stronger to the cat's nose, it was far more tormenting to be near her in his own body.

This body remembered the sensation of touching her warm smooth skin. Remembered the taste of her full lips, her soft gasps and the manner her hands had caressed his back. Her body had felt so good in his arms, so right. To him, the sensation was unnatural. He was a lone warrior. He didn't need anyone to slow him down, especially not some weak mortal girl.

But as unnatural as the sensation was, it still lingered stubbornly in the back of his mind. Onikage wanted her, and what he wanted he always got.

_"Why shouldn't I take her? Despite her words she wasn't exactly unwilling earlier, and I doubt anybody would come to interfere. Not in her room in this time of night."_ Onikage mused, climbing to the bed next to Ayame.

A small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that the girl was a filthy human, but Onikage ignored it, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her against himself.

* * *

Ayame woke from her sleep. 

She had relived the day of her parents' death once again, but the dream had been different this time. There had been someone else in there too, someone soothing. The foreign presence had embraced her with a warm light and dried her tears, leading her into a field of flowers.

The field had been bathed in a warm sunlight and for a brief moment she had wondered if she was dead. The stranger had even taken her hand and pulled her into fierce dash trough the sea of flowers.

Smiling at the memory of her dream, Ayame snuggled deeper under the blankets just to be pulled up against something, or rather someone warm by an arm around her waist. Her eyes flew open. She wasn't alone. Ayame wriggled rigorously trying to break free from the arm that trapped her. The arm didn't lose it's grip a single bit. On the contrary, it pulled her more tightly against the warm chest behind her.

Getting rather scared, Ayame summoned all of the strength sleeping inside her slim body to battle her way out of the embrace. She swung her arm back trying to hit the attacker, but another hand trapped her little fist before it hit anything. The blanket dropped back to the floor, but neither of them noticed it.

"That's not a very nice thing to do, you know?" A deep voice scolded her in playful tone.

Ayame gasped in surprise. She knew this voice. It belonged to the tall man with the crimson eyes. The man, who had tried to kill her, saved her, kissed her and then saved her again. He confused Ayame to no end; she couldn't see the logic in his actions. It wasn't logical at all.

_"But you despite all that you long for his touch?"_ The dry voice of her consciousness asked. _"You are even more pathetic than you were before."_

_"No. I can't explain it, but something tells me that he doesn't wish to harm me. He protected me back there, when he could have let me die." _Ayame reasoned to her addled thoughts, remembering how the man had sheltered her from the falling rocks in the underground tunnel.

Master Gohda had seemed so different back then. Usually the soft spoken lord seemed the most normal person in the mansion, despite his over-grown, laid-back attitude and ridiculous optimism. But back there the wishy-washy man had abandoned his kind smile. Even the crimson eyes of the tall stranger had been less scary than those of Gohda's. At least those glowing red eyes had been filled with emotions. Gohda's dark eyes had been totally lifeless, like they were made of stone. And to think that someone could actually wield such a terrifying power ... It was scary and against every law of nature she had ever heard of.

Bringing herself back to the present Ayame opened her mouth to talk: "What the hell are you doing in my bed?" she asked with a voice reeking of irritation. For some reason she wasn't as scared of him as she had been before, even though he still made her feel a bit edgy.

"I said that I'd stay close to keep an eye on you, didn't I?" The man answered with a sinisterly playful tone reminding Ayame of his words after the battle with Master Gohda.

--

_(Flash back)_

_After Gohda had vanished in to the shadows, the magical ties that had bound the red eyed man disappeared and he let her down gently. _

_Ayame had been about to ask if the man was all right, when she saw the look in those red eyes. Flames of pure rage had burned in those glowing eyes as he had touched the silver medallion around his neck. She had taken an unconscious step back when the man had shifted the burning gaze to her._

_"Can you find your way back to your rooms, wench?" His voice abruptly asked._

_"I... Yes I think so…" Ayame stuttered._

_"Good. Now, go to your rooms and stay there. And don't tell anyone about today's events. If you so much as hint about my existence to the others, I'll make you wish that you had never taken your first breath. Do I make myself clear?" He asked, turning the full power of his hatred towards her._

_"Very." She uttered breathlessly._

_"Now, be a good girl and go back to your rooms. I'll keep an eye on you and I'll contact you when the time is right." He said before he disappeared to the shadows like Gohda before him. _

_(End of flash back)_

--

"When you said that you'd keep an eye on me, I didn't …" Ayame started, but her answer was cut short by the soft lips tracing the base of her neck.

She gasped in surprise and the sound seemed to be a sign for the man to continue his actions. Ayame felt how his hand caressed her side through the thin fabric of her night gown, moving from her ribs to her waist and on to her bare thigh. His touch was light as feather, but it was enough to start a burning inside her body.

Biting back a moan that was about to escape from her lips, Ayame grunted. She absolutely wasn't going to let him win. Not like before, she wouldn't surrender to him just because he was a good kisser.

"What do you think you are doing!" Ayame asked in a voice that lesser man would have considered threatening, but the glowing-eyed stranger just let out a deep chuckle and tossed her to her back, trapping her hands above her head and her legs under his own. The hold of her hands was gentle but firm as steel and she couldn't make him budge.

Ayame's eyes widened in surprise as found herself face to a face of the red eyed stranger. Fierce hunger burned in those ruby eyes and his lips were twisted into a sly smirk. The moonlight played on his bare chest making it easier to Ayame to see the tattoos that decorated his upper torso. His free hand caressed her cheek as he bent closer over her. He was so close that she could feel his breath against her skin.

Her heart was beating so rapidly that Ayame wondered if it would come right trough her chest. She could feel how a slight blush raised to her cheeks as the man bent even closer. Ayame was afraid that her poor heart might fail her completely, it was beating so loudly in her ears.

_"Why am I reacting to him this way? He is my enemy ... isn't he?" _Ayame wasn't so sure anymore. He had, after all, saved her twice without any signs of wanting to take her life. The deep voice of the man dragged her from her thoughts when he spoke.

"I don't know how you do it, but you distract me, human. So, I'll make you bear my mark, and then you'll belong to me and me alone…forever." The man said in a husky voice and lowered his head to kiss the base of her neck.

Ayame gasped in pleasure. The area around the bite marks was extremely sensitive to his touch. Maybe it was because the scars weren't completely healed or maybe it was for some other reason. Right now she didn't care about the reasons. She just didn't want him to stop, whatever the reason.

The sharp pain of his fangs piercing the sensitive skin of her neck woke her from her lust. The man was licking the blood from the wound, but not hungrily like the first time. This time her blood wasn't food to him, now it was something else. The bite mark throbbed painfully for moment but the pain was already subsiding, giving space to another feelings. Part of Ayame wanted nothing more than for him to continue, but that part was left to the minority.

"I don't give a shit about how much more powerful you are than me, but if you don't stop right now I'll make your life a living hell in every way I can think off." Ayame whispered quietly.

For some reason Ayame felt tears burning in her eyes. This wasn't anywhere near the right time to break, but so much had happened in such a short time. She had been close to death twice today. She didn't know what was going on anymore, and she was confused and scared.

The man moved his lips from her neck to look her in the eyes. Ayame glared him as challengingly as she could despite the tears that blurred her vision. She wasn't going to let him have the pleasure of victory.

-The end of chapter nine-

* * *

A.N: Ok…that was it this time will be continued in chapter 10 that is up…someday not so soon, anyway please review andtell me what you thought about it…The good, the bad …and the ugly…and everything between… 


	10. Chapter 10

Author's notes: I just noticed that I like to start chapters from the point of Ayame waking… I dunno why…but it's an easy way to start. And the reason I write Ayame as a non-morning person is that I've never really loved mornings myself…so I know how just how hard it's to function without proper connection to the intelligent part of the brains…

Anyway thanks to all my reviewers! It's been long since my last update … hopefully you enjoy! My beta-reader is currently sick... and I felt bad for making her beta-read, so I posted few chapters on my own... That's why all the errors...hopefully she'll get better soon.

Speaking of which…here is the chapter 10… where we find out that Onikage is ticklish…yes you read right…ticklish

**

* * *

-The Wager- **

"I don't give a shit about how much more powerful you are than me, but if you don't stop right now I'll make your life a living hell every way I can think off." The girl whispered in a small voice that didn't lack conviction.

Onikage removed his lips from the third bite mark to look her. No one talked to him like that and stayed alive to see another day.

Tears glimmered in her in her beautiful eyes, but that didn't stop her from glaring him challengingly. She truly was a remarkable creature. The throbbing bundle in the back of his mind told of anger, fear and confusion, but her eyes told that he wasn't the cause of that fear. Somehow this girl reminded him about the half-breed bastard he had seen earlier. Onikage doubted that either of them, the girl or the half-breed, would never acknowledge nor admit defeat despite their tainted heritage.

In the underground tunnels he had tried to track down the half-breed after the invisible chains had released their grip around him, but the fucking bastard had vanished into the darkness without a trace like he had been just a shadow. Creatures with the tainted fleshling blood weren't supposed to be strong. They were the filth that corrupted the world, and half-breeds were even worse than mortals, but both the heir of Mitsuomi and the human girl seemed to defy the limitations of their heirloom.

The fiery gaze of the human's brown eyes bring him back to the present. _"How could something as worthless as she have such a vexing eyes and seducing scent?" _He wondered, answering to her blazing glare with his own. The human tormented his sanity without even realizing it, and it frustrated him even more. _"Who was this pathetic creature to have so much power over him?" _

Onikage knew he could take her by force, she wouldn't be a much of a challenge, but he didn't want to force her. Somehow it was her win if he'd use force and admit that he couldn't get her any other way. Onikage realized that he wanted her to beg for his touch.

"_She has to submit to me sooner or later."_ Onikage thought gazing the three marks on the base of her neck. Together they formed a little circle. _"I can let her have her fight…"_ A sly grin appeared on his lips. The girl would never win this fight.

Onikage studied her tearful eyes for a moment longer, before the girl closed them. Apparently he still had some power over her.

"I'm dead serious, you know?" The girl continued in a stronger voice.

"I know." Onikage answered and kissed her closed eyelids. "And I'm going to let you have your way this time…" Onikage said moving next to her on the soft bed. "…but I'm going to sleep in the bed." He announced picking the fallen blanket from the floor.

"I…but you…I mean we can't…" the girl stuttered unintelligibly.

"If you have any objections please let me know in the morning…." Onikage muttered as he snuggled under the blanket. He needed to gather strength; the battle of the half-breed had eaten more of his power that he was comfortable admitting.

* * *

Emi was about to call it a night and go to sleep as she heard a desperate knocking from her door. Devil, the black cat who had been calmly sleeping on her lap opened it's bright green eyes and hissed angrily. It reacted like that to only one person. 

"What on earth does he want from me in this time of night?" Emi wondered standing up and smoothing the folds of her long, black velvet dress before heading to the door.

Opening the sturdy copper coloured doors she hoped that her unruly red hair would be a bit less unruly. After all he was one of the three persons in this mansion who could someday challenge her with sheer strength.

Tatsumaru stood on the other side of the door, with a worried expression in his usually so stoic face.

"I'm sorry to disturb you so late at night, but my news can't wait to the morning." Tatsumaru said in everything but stoic voice. He wasn't wearing his uniform, but a blue yukata and his black hair fell freely on his shoulders. Everything suggested that he had been awoken from the sleep less than half an hour ago.

Wondering what had shaken him so badly Emi stepped aside letting him to step in to the room.

"What's wrong?" Emi asked as she closed the door behind him. She hadn't even closed the door completely as the words started flow from his lips. He had a tormented look in his eyes and Emi could only wonder what had made this proud man to turn to her in search of assistance.

"The twins of the east have proposed a wager. We hand the thrown to the true heir of Gohda and they'll stop the war. Of curse they demand a public execution to Master Matsunoshin… the crowds demand blood, and they want the answer before dawn." Tatsumaru stopped to take a deep breath.

"But worst of all… The mirror in the Master Mitsuomi's grave is broken. The hidden dungeon is empty. He is free; Onikage the thousand-killer walks the earth again." Tatsumaru shifted his tormented gaze of his yellow eyes from his toes to Emi's now widened eyes. She took a step back and fell to a chair she created from nothing.

"_This couldn't be happening… not again."_ The thought echoed in her mind as her mind played trough the pictures of the time he had been free the last time, the time of the Great War. She had trusted him completely, and he had betrayed her, and she hadn't been able to do anything to stop him. All those dead bodies, would she have to bury so many beloved once again.

Tatsumaru's voice dragged Emi from her memories

"He was Shiunsai's most talented pupil before he switched sides and joined Mei-Oh of the West. I'm not sure if we can win him again. The last time required the lives of 50 highly skilled Azuma ninja's and master Mitsuomi. If Mitsuomi hadn't sacrificed himself, we would all be dead …" Tatsumaru stopped unsure how to continue.

Emi didn't want to believe it, but despite all of Tatsumaru's faults he was no liar. Onikage was free, and knowing him, after Mitsuomi's blood. She needed time to think and time to prepare, time she didn't have.

"Tatsumaru go wake your brother, and bring young Matsunoshin here too… I'll contact Mimi and then Sekiya. We have no time to waste." Emi ordered absentmindedly and didn't even notice that Tatsumaru obeyed her without any protests.

Tonight would change everything… to everyone.

* * *

Ayame woke up having trouble breathing. Her sleepy mind refused to work properly and so Ayame tried to move her hands to remove the thing disabling her free breathing just to find that they were already wrapped around to the warm thing. She tried to pull it half heartedly and came to a conclusion that it was too heavy to move. And there was something around her preventing the next best option: pushing away from the warm object. 

Ayame let out a sigh. This really meant that she had to open her eyes; she would have preferred to keep them closed and fall back to sweet slumber as quickly as possible. Being awake was greatly overrated in her opinion. It meant good byes to a warm bed and welcome to an old over crowded building, called school, where people tried to force knowledge into her head.

Letting out another deep sigh, she found herself rewarded with a booming noise that she still half-asleep interpreted as a laughing.

"Stop that wench! … it tickles." A deep voice boomed somewhere near by.

Ayame opened her eyes to see something that gradually shifted into a bare, very male upper torso.

"_I have someone male in my bed…since when do I have had males in my bed! No I'm asking the wrong questions again. Not when… how and why are much better questions…" _

The arm around her waist shifted a bit and started drew circles against her spine trough the thin fabric of her nightgown. Ayame's eyes widened as she remembered the events of last night. She had slept in the same bed with him, the whole night without any troubles of getting sleep.

"_What happened to the so-called woman's intuition?"_ Ayame wondered. Shouldn't she have a little more self-protection instinct in situations like this?

"Go back to sleep wench…the sun isn't even up yet…" The deep voice mumbled and the man pulled her closer burying his face into her neck. Ayame felt shivers running along her spine as his hot breath came in contact with her sensitive skin.

"_Please god, let him fall asleep fast and not notice the effect he has on me."_ Ayame silently prayed as she came more and more aware of the closeness of their bodies. As the man continued to breath in a slow steady rhythm Ayame speculated that he must have fallen back to sleep.

"_Why am I so afraid of loosing him? He is just a beast that craves my blood."_ She mentally reminded herself as a familiar longing filled her chest. _"Does he really?"_ A small voice asked. _"It's true that he has bitten you quite a few times, but he hasn't tried to kill you or drink you empty lately, has he?" _Unable to counter that Ayame just stayed quiet and let the voice continue.

"_And on top of that he has saved you quite a number of times has he? And you haven't said a single word to thank him for his actions."_ the voice blamed.

Ayame felt so lost. Everything seemed tangled up in a mess and she wasn't sure could she completely trust her sanity anymore. She wanted someone to tell her that everything would be alright in the end, someone to tell her sweet lies so that she could sleep this night without worries.

The strong arms held her in a gentle but firm grip, and Ayame felt tempted to melt into this warm embrace, and worry about the consequences tomorrow. It would be so easy to lean on that unbelievable strength and hope that everything would somehow fix it self when she was asleep.

But she needed to get a hold of the situation before studying her mixed feelings towards the pale stranger that had invaded half of her bed.

"_I don't even know his name",_ Ayame though as she ran her finger along the muscles of his arm, and turned around to face him. He wasn't nearly as intimidating in sleep as he was when he was awake. His handsome features were softened into a peaceful expression, and his glowing red eyes were hidden under the eyelids. He was actually quite attracting when he was sleeping those soft lips a bit apart.

"Why did it come to this again?" Ayame asked from herself pushing an unruly black lock from his face behind his ear. "I don't want to fall in love…not here and most definitely not to you."

"What are you doing wench?" The low voice was still slow from the sleep. "You are tickling me again…" He growled narrowing another one of his blood red eyes open.

His voice got Ayame off-balance. "_How could some one as strong as him been so ticklish? … isn't it some kind of weakness…?" _Ayame wondered silently, smiling a bit.

"I don't like if I'm being awakened without a reason." The man grumbled. "…Or did you wake me to play a little?" He asked with an unreadable emotion in his voice. Shifting closer, he slide his hand down to Ayame's hip. She didn't like the look in his eye; it was filled with an inhuman hunger that seemed to be fixed towards her.

"Ah…I just needed to go to the bathroom…" Ayame answered with the first excuse that came into her mind.

"Why didn't you say so right a way…?" The man mumbled releasing his grip around her and nuzzling deeper under the blankets.

Ayame stood up and her bare feet tapped rhythmically against the cold stone floor as she walked to the bathroom to change her clothes. She needed to get some answers and she needed them right away. There were only two persons in this whole mansion that could explain it all to her, Master Gohda and Emi. And the master of the house didn't seem like a good option in this time of night. She would go to Emi's rooms; the green eyed head of the maids could surely explain everything to her.

* * *

As Matsunoshin Gohda finally gained his consciousness the first thing he came aware off was the hard, icy cold object pressing against the right side of his face. He opened his eyes to study his surroundings. He lay sprawled in a narrow stone covered hallway where he had collapsed as the after effect of the spell had hit him. 

Wondering how long he had lain in the dark hallway unconscious, Gohda pushed himself to his knees and gasped sharply as the pain pierced his chest. His hands instinctively moved to protect the injury, and he was surprised to that the rough fabric of his haori felt warm and sticky under his fingers. Forgetting momentarily his pain Gohda studied his stained hands that were alarmingly pale compared to the warm red substance, which covered them.

"Blood…" The single word escaped his lips before he could stop it.

The old scars must have opened, because he couldn't remember suffering any serious damage in the fight with the pale stranger. He would soon bleed to death if he wouldn't get them treated.

"_I need to go to Rikimaru."_ the thought formed to his head before he remembered that Rikimaru knew nothing of his power or the weakness that came along with it. The thoughts familiarity was striking. How many years had he known the one eyed shadow. 12 years…or was it 13? More than half of his life the silver haired ninja had stood behind him, ready to catch him in case he'd fall.

"_I have come to rely on him too much, haven't I?"_ Gohda thought as he leaned to the cold stone wall for support. _"I always run to him like a little child whenever I face problems… and he always saves me without questioning my actions… well, at least not in public." _Several memories of Rikimaru's famous irresponsibility lectures came to his mind. Making his lips curl into a little smile. The one-eyed man could be down-right offensive with his choice of words every now and then, but he always meant good.

His attachment to the older man was utterly wrong in every possible way he could think of, and yet he couldn't deny his feelings. He could hide them and he could ignore them, but he couldn't pretend that they weren't true. Matsunoshin knew that he shouldn't cherish those feelings for Rikimaru. The disciplined ninja would despise him for that unholy affection. He had truly fallen for forsaken.

"_Well…. if the cards don't lie I don't have enough time to ruin our friendship, with something like that_." Gohda mused and proceeded to stand up. He leaned heavily to the wall as he took his first shaky steps, panting like he had just ran 20 miles, but he was moving forward. And that was all that mattered.

Every step forward led him closer to his destination. All he needed to do was to keep moving forward.

* * *

-End of chapter ten - 

Even shorter chapter this time…I just could make it any longer….sadly


	11. Chapter 11

Author's notes: About the time table… I think that I've made it pretty hard to understand but the fic-wise it's only been a day since Ayame got lost to the underground tunnels…should I mention more clearly?

Here it is the chapter eleven….try to enjoy….even though the language isn't all that good...

* * *

**- Breakdowns - **

Rikimaru sat wide awake on the edge of fountain middle in the back yard of Gohda mansion, even though the morning was still young and the sun wasn't even up. The darkness painted the garden in the different shades of grey; it was like all of the colour would have been drained from the world. Thick silvery mist swirled above the ground hiding the dead leaves that covered the ground. The only sound was the sound of water falling from fountain to the pool below.

He hadn't been able to sleep much last night… Not when his mind kept playing Emi's news in his mind over and over again.

_flash back_

_Worn out looking Tatsumaru had barged into his rooms without a warning ordering him to Emi's rooms immediately. He hadn't given a chance to change his clothes let alone ask questions._

_When they had finally reached Emi's rooms the witch had greeted them with serious expression and an immediate question of young Matsunoshin's whereabouts. She had looked so worried and tired that Rikimaru hadn't understood the question until Tatsumaru had spoken._

"_The young master has disappeared from his rooms without a trace… I had three guard placed to the doors of his rooms and they swear that nobody has come nor left from his rooms…but he isn't there anymore…we checked everywhere… I have failed." Tatsumaru had stammered nervously keeping his eyes fixed on the pattern of the luxurious velvet rug on the floor._

_Emi had sighed deeply and mumbled something about how it might have meant to go that way, and let them step inside._

_Rikimaru hadn't first recognized Sekiya as the short middle aged man had stood beside the unlit fireplace talking with worried looking Mimi and a young black haired girl in a silent voice. Rikimaru hadn't seen Sekiya in his human form in many decades. He looked very uninteresting with his nonchalant face and balding head, but behind those dim grey eyes lived a political mastermind that had counselled total four generations of Gohdas. The luxurious royal blue robes had betrayed his identity to Rikimaru along with the appearance of the young girl next to him. _

_The young girl had been easy to recognize as Lady Kiku, because of her striking resemblance to her brother Matsunoshin. They had the same dark eyes and same pale complexion. Lady Kiku had dressed in beautiful blood red Kimono with golden dragon pattern. And her long, raven black hair had looked like a liquid silk as it had hung freely. In her human form Lady Kiku looked nothing but a child in her early teens and Rikimaru had to remind himself a few times that despite her looks the girl was easily a half a century older than her little brother._

_For the first time of his life Rikimaru wondered just why the throne had been passed to Matsunoshin, instead of passing it straight to the rightful ruler. _

_Rikimaru had greeted the pair by bowing deep. _

"_It's good to see you both safe and healthy; Lady Kiku and Master Sekiya." Tatsumaru had greeted, also bowing deeply. "This man here is my younger brother Rikimaru." Tatsumaru had said in a voice that had gained a bit of it's usual well hidden arrogance._

"_I'm sorry to interrupt, but tonight we can afford to spend time to the usual formalities." Emi had said in a soft voice full of determination. _

"_As you all now the Four Kingdoms are in the verge of war, despite of our best efforts. Today, less than an hour ago we got a message from the twins of the East. They have proposed a wager: They will stop waging war against us if we will give the throne to the true heir of Gohda and execute the false Lord publicly." Emi had announced in a voice without any emotions. "If they don't get our decision as the sun rises they'll launch a full-scale war against us."_

_A stunned silence had filled the room after her words and Rikimaru had heard his own heartbeats ringing in his ears. The kingdoms were in the verge of full-scale war? He had known nothing of it, but it explained Matsunoshin's desperate attempts of negotiating with the other rulers. _

_Sekiya had been the one to break the silence: "How do they know of Lady Kiku?" He had asked in an emotionless voice._

"_We don't know, there is only a handful in this mansion who knows that they are serving the substitute ruler, and not the true heir. My guess is that we have an information leak, someone from the inside." Emi answered with equal lack of emotions._

"_Yes it's most likely… any ideas of the identity of the betrayer?" Sekiya asked seemingly uninterested, like they would have talked about the weather._

"_Only guesses, no real proofs or motives." Emi answered shortly._

"_Yes, well we can leave that to later… now we have to make the decision. What should we do?" Sekiya asked shifting his gaze to Mimi._

_The petite witch had been uncharacteristically quiet and serious the whole time, it was almost frightening. Meeting the counsel's shallow grey eyes with her blue ones she had let out a deep sigh._

"_I think we should accept the proposal." She had answered in a quiet but steady voice._

"_I hoped that I could have talked with my brother first, but the good of the nation comes before the good of the individual. I'm sure that the Matsunoshin will feel the same way. I say we accept the offer. Mimi had said in a voice that had held no sympathy for her little brother._

"_I'm not too sure about it. It could be a trap..." Emi had begun unsurely_

"_It could be a trap, but the opportunity to prevent a war is too good to pass by. I agree with Mimi and Kiku." Tatsumaru had interrupted before the witch had had a chance to end her sentence. _

"_What about you Rikimaru?" Sekiya had asked shifting his surprisingly piercing gaze to Rikimaru. "I believe you are grown quite attached to young Matsunoshin."_

"_I would like to study other options first…" Rikimaru answered vaguely. This wasn't a place for one like him to speak his mind._

"_Well then Kiku is ready to take the throne … The election was not unanimous, but the decision needs to be done." Sekiya had said in a silent voice. "Kiku and I return to our hide out to start the needed preparations. Tatsumaru, inform the twins of the east that we will accept." Sekiya ordered in a chilling voice. He was currently the highest in authority, as the Matsunoshin was absent and Kiku was yet to take the throne. Nobody dared to oppose his orders._

_Tatsumaru and the others left the room and Rikimaru was about to follow them as Emi's voice stopped him._

"_Rikimaru could you stay here a moment longer, there is something I need to speak with you." Emi had said and waited until the others had departed before continuing._

"_Unfortunately I have more bad news.. Onikage the thousand-killer has escaped from the hidden dungeon and walks on the earth again." Emi had said, and even though her voice had been as emotionless as before Rikimaru could sense her tensing up._

_Rikimaru had heard of Onikage before, but he had assumed the man be just an exaggerated legend. The thousand-killer was said to be immortal and he was supposed to wield powers of a hundred men. They said that Mitsuomi had needed a small army to capture him and despite those soldiers the thousand-killer had managed to give Lord Mitsuomi a fatal injury, before they had captured him._

"_The thousand-killer he is one of the very few true vampires left… a demon among demons. He is practically immortal: ordinary weapons do no harm on him. The fiercest flames are nothing but irritation for him. He can't be suffocated or starved to death…basically the only way to beat him is to imprison him." Emi had said without a hint of sarcasm in her soft voice._

"_He is a talented ruthless killer; without any moral codes and the worst thing is that he was trained by us. He was your father's best student, before he betrayed us." the witch paused there slightly as if she had considered her words carefully._

"_He is free and after Mitsuomi's blood. Lady Kiku is in great danger, I want you to protect her like you did her brother before her. I believe your family treasure Izayoi is one of the legendary weapons, one of those nine swords created to kill an immortal. As you know Izayoi chooses it's wielders, currently you are the only person who can wield it. You must follow the heiress at all times until the thousand-killer will be captured again." _

_end of flash back_

Emi's words rang in Rikimaru's ears as he turned to gaze to the east, with his only eye. The first rays of rising sun had appeared to the horizon, cutting an orange wound to the otherwise colourless world.

"_They were already talking about Matsunoshin like he would be dead…"_ Rikimaru thought silently _"…Is it way to try to escape from the guilt? It isn't right for Matsunoshin… they are the ones that will be stained in his blood in the end…and like me they will just have to accept it and bear the guilt of his death. They owe the kid at least as much."_

A rustling of dead leaves, focused Rikimaru's attention to the enormous labyrinth on his left. Something was slowly approaching him from the misty maze that some unknown Gohda had built ages ago. Shifting his right hand to the hilt of Izayoi, Rikimaru concentrated to the steps behind the rustling of the leaves, trying to determine the distance between him and the one causing the noise.

"_Have the spirits of forest managed to wander this far inside the barriers?"_ Rikimaru wondered as he unsheathed Izayoi and tried to pierce his gaze trough the silvery fog. A shadow of a man was barely visible trough the mist as Rikimaru lounged towards the approaching figure. The blade of his sword cut the misty air as the one eyed ninja dashed soundlessly across the field between the fountain and the labyrinth.

The blade stopped only an inch away from a throat of one of the younger soldiers. The boy froze in mid step, looking surprised and a bit scared.

"I have a message from mistress Emi…" The boy stuttered in a high-pitched voice as Rikimaru sheathed Izayoi. "The price of the wager will be paid in noon, seven days from now and some person named Sekiya has requested you to carry out the task ...And he wants his answer before the sunset. He and the heiress are coming over later this morning, and you need to be there to greet them. That's the message… hopefully you understand it better than I do…" The boy mumbled eyes nailed to sheath of Izayoi, like it would be a poisonous snake that could attack him any time.

"_Am I alright with the thought of staining my hands in his blood, even for the greater good?"_ Rikimaru wondered frustratedly_. "Why can't I just accept his death as a price we have to pay for the peace… losing one life for the sake of many isn't a bad bargain… so why does it feel so wrong?"_ Rikimaru thought burying his head to his hands. The messenger took this as a suggestion to leave and disappeared to the mist leaving Rikimaru alone to his grim thoughts.

* * *

The red velvet rug felt soft against Ayame's bare toes as she marched along the hallway towards the direction she presumed that the Emi's rooms were situated. Every hallway seemed the same to her, and there was nobody around to ask directions. The mansion was truly a puzzling work of architecture, like a giant maze indoors. 

After wandering along the grave silent hallways for some time Ayame came to a pair of doors she recognized. The massive doors were sculptured of some dark metal and could have belonged to a set of any B - level horror movie.

Ayame had found her way to the front doors of the Gohda mansion.

Cursing under her breath Ayame was about to turn back as something inside her mind snapped. She was going back to the real world, to school and to her small, crappy apartment.

"_Why wouldn't I leave this place?_" She thought. _"This place is just too creepy for me…I've had more near death experiences in the short period of time I've spent here than I have from my entire life out side this mansion… The murderous suit of armours, men who can blow thick stone walls to smithereens with willpower alone or the blood thirsty spirits… not to mention that there is an unknown male that wants to suck my blood, sleeping in my bed…It's just too much for me…"_

Without giving the matter another thought, Ayame opened the heavy doors and dashed past the graves of the front yard towards the sturdy main-gate and the forest that lay beyond it.

* * *

Matsunoshin Gohda stumbled to his chambers trough the mirror in the corner of his bedroom. He was breathing in harp gasps and his wounds felt like they were burning, but he needed to meet with Emi, to discuss about the pale stranger he had met in the hallway, and he needed to use her cards again. 

Matsunoshin leaned towards the mirror to study his reflection. His green and white haori was covered in fresh blood and his skin seemed lifelessly pale highlighting the black circles that were forming around his eyes. Cold sweat pearled on his forehead and even his unruly hair seemed to be soaked in blood. All in all he looked more like a walking corpse than a living.

"_I really need a warm bath and clean clothes… I doubt I could walk even out of my study looking like this, without raising some unwanted questions… And my current situation is tough enough to handle as it is."_ He sighed inwardly wobbling towards the humble bathroom of his chambers.

"Why couldn't anything go the way I have planned it…?" Matsunoshin Gohda thought giving momentarily in to the self-pity that dwelled inside him, as he tore off the blood soaked haori jacket that had glued onto his torso. Kicking the filthy clothes under the bathtub out of the curious eyes, he filled the tub with steaming, warm water and climbed in.

The burning pain that he felt in the wound in his side, when he sank in the water was almost enough to knock him back to unconsciousness. It was probably infected, but for now he couldn't do much more to it than clean it carefully with water and soap. He would go to Tesshu to get it treated properly right after the meeting with Emi.

Half an hour later the Matsunoshin studied his reflection from the mirror again. He looked like different person now: fresh from the bath and dressed in to long, royal, black silk robes and his unruly hair tied back. All of his normal clothes were in the laundry at the moment apparently, or then one of his maids had sabotaged his wardrobe again. He still looked like he had just left his sickbed, but that could be taken care of.

Concentrating small flow of his supernatural powers Matsunoshin erased all marks of tiredness from his face magically. The magic would wear out in couple of hours and then the after effects would probably tear the half closed wounds wide open again, but that would be more than enough. Hiding his shaky hands to the ridiculously long sleeves of his robes, Matsunoshin Gohda was encountered by a vision that shook the foundations of his sanity.

Rikimaru was walking down the hallway with a young girl, that couldn't be any other than his sister Lady Kiku. She was hanging in Rikimaru's arm smiling widely and chatting something with her clear voice. It seemed that his time was up.

"_There is nothing more for me to do than say my farewells and meet the reaper with a smile on my face."_ Gohda thought forcing a gentle smile on his face and walking to them.

"Honoured older sister, it's good to see you." He said bowing deep. "I presume that you have completed your training?" He asked and was surprised how sincere he sounded.

"Ah… Matsunoshin, please stand up." Lady Kiku ordered in a soft voice. Standing up, Matsunoshin studied the face of a sister he hadn't seen in 12 years. She was as beautiful as ever, with her pale complexion and doll-like face. Matsunoshin couldn't bring himself to look at Rikimaru. Hoping that the older man would mistake the avoiding as a part of politeness towards Kiku, Matsunoshin concentrated his whole attention to his sister who needed a moment to gather up her composure, before continuing.

"Yes my training is complete and I'm moving in the family mansion, as promised." She said in a confident voice. "And I have nominated Rikimaru as one of my bodyguards." There was no trace of emotion in her voice as she spoke to him, Matsunoshin noted.

"_Why is she feeling uneasy around me?"_ He wondered before answering to her words. "That's good to hear. You made a good choice…He is our most talented ninja…. Please, take a good care of him." He said and hid the pain behind those words to an even wider smile. "But if you excuse me honoured sister, I must leave now. I have promised to meet Emi in her rooms in five minutes." He said politely and bowed down to hide his eyes.

"_Good bye my beloved Rikimaru…please stay safe and lead a happy, long life…_ _"_ Matsunoshin thought silently, unable to leave his final farewells to the man he would never see on this world again.

"You are dismissed." Lady Kiku ordered in a soft voice and Matsunoshin walked from the scene without looking back. He was going to do the right thing and accept his duty, for the first and last time in his life. That way he could meet his ancestors without shame on his soul.

* * *

Stepping from the main gate Ayame found her self sunken to knee length of snow. Everything around her was covered in white snow, but this couldn't be the forest known as Devil's play ground. There was not a single tree anywhere in her eyes reach, only snow. 

"What the hell!" Ayame cursed trying to recognize her surroundings with out success.

Her school uniform wasn't enough to cover her from the icy mountain wind, and her bare feet where going numb already. She knew that needed to start moving but her feet didn't cooperate.

"_Where on earth am I now? …or am I just losing my mind? That would explain it all …I'm crazy and nothing of this is really real…it's just a part of my imagination …just a part of my imagination… just a part of my imagination"_ Ayame repeated trying to make it disappear, but the snow and the cold refused go anywhere.

She had been able to ignore most of what had happened recently, by pushing it somewhere in the back of her mind but this was too much. Ayame felt desperation piling up inside her as she wobbled towards the direction where theschool should have been. After a while her steps became slower and slower as the cold started to stiffen her muscles. The cold burned her bare feet more with every taken step.

"_I want to go back to where I belong!"_ Her mind screamed as the tears burned in her eyes blurring her vision. Losing her balance Ayame fell to the ground and sobbed. She didn't have enough strength to rise back up again and fight for her existence against Mother Nature.

Curling up as small as possible Ayame closed her eyes and gave up. This was the one fight she couldn't possibly win.

* * *

Emi was walking towards the library as she saw Matsunoshin Gohda. She wasn't sure what was more surprising: the fact that he had managed to return without a fuss or the fact that he was wearing his royal robes. His unruly hair was tied back and he looked more dignified than he had looked ever before. 

"Emi, I was looking for you… Can I have a word with you? It seems that Lady Kiku has returned to the mansion, and I'm anxious to ask few questions." The boy said with a charming smile that could have fooled others.

"Sure…" Emi said and lead him one of the empty rooms in the hallway. "This room should stay empty for a few hours and I doubt that any one can break my charm of silence to eavesdrop us. What do you want to know?"

"How much time do I have left?" Gohda asked without a hesitation.

"You have one week." Emi said meeting his cold black eyes. He seemed to have killed all the emotions inside of him.

"Seven days are more than enough to settle the uncompleted matters. Have you decided how I'm going to die or can I decide it myself?" He asked and his voice was stoic, reminding her about the way Tatsumaru talked.

"You will be executed publicly, but the way is still undetermined." Emi said and explained the situation with the wager to him.

"So you decided to accept…?" Matsunoshin said more to himself than to her. "It was a good decision; I would have done the same." He continued flashing a little smile to her. "I have a huge favour to ask…could you make sure that nothing happens to the human girl I hired the other day… she is having enough troubles with the guy she shares a bond with. Oh, and please look after that guy too…I chained him to me and made him a part of the staff too. He is a bit rude and scary looking, but the spell bounds him to the human's will after I'm gone."

"I'll do my best." Emi promised to him.

"Good... and if it's not impossible could you tell me what is the official reason for my execution?" He asked fixing his cold dark eyes to her green ones.

"It is treason against honoured Lady Kiku." She answered with emotionless voice. "The usual punishment for treason is death by hanging or decapitation, but if you wish we can suggest something else." Emi continued and tore her gaze from his eyes. She couldn't meet the dead expression in his eyes.

"Hanging is fine… I just want to meet my ancestors in one piece." He said and faked another smile that didn't reach his cold eyes. "Now, if you'd come along with me to meet my honoured older sister. I think we might want to inform Sekiya about my return too." He continued ignoring the way she avoided his eyes.

"Yes… let's do that." Emi sighed and followed him from the room to the hallway.

**-End of chapter eleven-**


	12. Chapter 12

Author's notes: Well the _Gohda's-feelings-twist_ was clearly way more than you could handle...at least if I take it from the lack of reviews….well it can't be helped. I'm not going to stop now.

Warning: has bits and pieces of yaoi/slash/gay stuff

And since I haven't been able to contact my beta reader recently… this fic isn't as good as it was few chapters ago.

**

* * *

-The explanations - **

Onikage woke up in the feeling that something was utterly wrong.

"_I'm finally sleeping in decent bed…so what the fuck is wrong now?"_ He thought grumbling under his breath. Forcing his eyes open he studied his surroundings. The room was exactly how it had been before, except that the sun was already up and the human girl seemed to have wandered off somewhere.

"_In other words...nothing worth getting up for."_ Onikage thought and snuggled deeper between the sheets that carried the human's intoxicating scent, before he remembered something with high importance.

"_She wandered off while she was in heat! Is she stupid or just fucking ignorant! Every male in this fucking house can is lured into that smell like moths to the flame! And my mark isn't probably enough to keep them all away either! If a single one of those motherfucking bastards even tries to lay a finger on my property I'm going to beat the living hell out of them."_ Onikage thought jumping out of the bed. He was first to admit that he was highly obsessive when it came to his property.

Dashing out from the rooms he nearly bumped to Mimi who was strolling down the hallway with a satisfied little smile on her lips. Something had changed and Onikage doubted that it was a change for good.

"It's bold even of you to run around in your original form in this mansion." The petite witch chirped looking him with bright blue eyes. "May I ask what the occasion is?"

Onikage just shot her an angry glare deciding that the question wasn't worth answering.

"No, don't be like that… it's a happy day. Master Sekiya has finally decided to remove the trash polluting the throne, and make an end of this foolishness. You are no longer needed. Our deal is off." The blonde said giggling like a little girl.

"You should see yourself Oni-darling; you have frozen up." Mimi giggled

Onikage had frozen up, but it wasn't because of Mimi's words like the witch thought. He felt her presence getting fainter as if she had suddenly gone somewhere very far away.

"_I have no time for this…"_ Onikage thought clenching his hands into fists and pushed past Mimi and towards the. He would deal with the witch later, when he would be absolutely sure that the human would be safe.

"Run fast and run far Onikage!" Mimi shouted after him. "…because an hour from now the whole mansion will be after you and your little pet."

* * *

Emi wandered rather aimlessly the hallways of the east wing to clear her thoughts. The bright sunlight that shined trough the tall windows wasn't enough to keep her warm and she wished that she would have taken her shawl along with her. 

The meeting of Matsunoshin and Sekiya had been like she had feared; the boy had been completely emotionless, like something would have sucked all the life out of him already. Matsunoshin had been more like a puppet than a living creature.

His cold eyes had just stared blankly to nothingness as he had voluntarily given Counsel Sekiya a permission to destroy his reputation in front of his staff, and agreed to move to the dungeons at the nightfall and get chained into the wall like a true criminal. He had said that he had already taken care of everything that needed to be done, said that he would accept his duty without a scene.

Maybe it was easier for him to seem like cool and calm outside, but for Emi it would have been easier to handle if he had broken down and begged for his life or cursed them, anything that would have shown them his true emotions.

"_Well, what's done is done. I've made a promise not to chance the path of events, in change of this refuge."_ Emi thought and looked the eastern wings leaf patterned wall decorations.

She had been here when the first Lord Gohda had build up that wall and when his grand daughter had decided to decorate it with leafs. Actually it was a small wonder how little the original mansion had changed along these hundreds and thousands of years, she had lived here.

"You shall help the first of the family to this world and You shall also be the one to bury the last one of them. They shall be your curse and your blessing, your punishment and your reward…" Emi mumbled silently to herself.

It was part of the prophecy that had tied her life to the families of Gohda and Azuma. First it had seemed like an unpleasant duty, but with time she had started to get attached to them. Sometimes she almost reflected them as her own children. She had hoped that young Matsunoshin would have gotten chance to mature a bit longer.

Emi was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice the running figure until it was only few feet from her. If she had been able to die she would have probably done so from pure shock. Onikage the thousand-killer, the betrayer, who had been once her lover and more, was running down the hallway towards her at full-speed, dressed in uniform of a young soldier, black Hakama pants and dark grey Haori-jacket.

Thousands of different expressions from shock to melancholy played on her face, until she finally settled to grudge filled rage. Breaking towards one of the most basic rules she had sworn to obey in every situation. She released all of her powers to direct a killing spell towards the creature she hated the most in the whole universe.

Onikage's blood red eyes reflected surprise and something, unreadable… maybe fear, in the few seconds that it took for him to recognize Emi and realize the intention of the power released towards him.

The spell tore a hole to the universe itself, destroying the wall behind Onikage as well as part of the mansion's garden and miles and miles of forest, that were also situated at the same direction. But to Emi's surprise she noted that after the ground stopped shaking and the smoke and dust settled Onikage was still standing before her, shocked but unharmed.

"How?" Emi stuttered in disbelief. Even though he was practically immortal the spell should have at least gravely wound him. Only protections spell, greater than her attack, could have kept him completely unharmed.

"It's fucking nice to see you too." Onikage spit sarcastically. "If you are referring to my new clothes, I got them from a nice girl called Rin... Everything else is probably the work of my fancy new collar." He said and pulled a silver medallion under his Haori. It was similar to the one that she carried around her neck, but there were differences too. For one Onikage's medallion forced it's bearer to obey the master of the house one way or other.

Emi's mind begun to race: _"Onikage had the medallion that identified him as a servant of Gohda family. Only one person could currently grant him an item like that, and it was the master of the house. But there was no way one could have chained Onikage against his will and there was no way Onikage would carry the medallion voluntarily, because it made him a slave for the one who had chained him.. Basically if Matsunoshin would order Onikage to jump the vampire would jump, and keep doing so until Lord Gohda would give him a permission to stop. " _

Then suddenly she remembered something Matsunoshin had said the earlier. He had asked her to take care of the human servant Ayame, when he had mentioned something about a man, who shared a bond with the girl.

"_What had been the exact words? "_ Emi thought trying to remember, as they suddenly came to her.

"…_Oh, and please look after that guy too…I chained him to me and made him a part of the staff too. He is a bit rude and scary looking, but the spell bounds him to the human's will after I'm gone."_ The boy had said with a faked smile.

Emi's big bright green eyes widened in shock, Matsunoshin had somehow been able to chain the thousand-killer not only to him self, but also to the human girl. Her knees felt weak and she had to battle against a sudden need to sit down to the velvet rug.

Then something with even shocking occurred to her: She had personally promised to look after a thousand-killer, the man who had taken so much from her. She could have shouted from frustration.

Shooting a dirty glare towards Onikage, Emi noticed that the man was gone. She had been so deep in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed when he had left her alone with her messy thoughts.

"Heaven help me…" Emi muttered and buried her face in her hands.

* * *

Rikimaru was in the garden watching as Lady Kiku chatting with one of the maids, a young, perky girl with short black hair. Currently they were talking about some soldier that the maid had encountered in the eastern hallway earlier in the morning. 

Rikimaru let their words flow from one ear to the other with no interest whatsoever, as he leaned to a strong tree. His seemingly relaxed pose was a deceiving façade; actually he was ready to draw Izayoi from the smallest disturbance, but until the danger represented itself he would lean to the tree and let his mind wander.

The meeting between Lady Kiku and Matsunoshin refused to leave his thoughts. Something had seemed off. For one the boy hadn't looked him once in the whole time nor talked to him. And what was it been with his outfit. Rikimaru couldn't remember a when Matsunoshin had used royal robes before, or combed his hair back for that matter.

Rikimaru knew him too well to know that the boy's wide smile he hadn't been real. The boy used smiles like masks, the wider the smile the unhappier he was under it. But the thing that bothered him was the fact that he didn't know what Matsunoshin had been hiding behind that cheerful expression.

And after the incident he hadn't been able to leave Kiku's side long enough to locate Matsunoshin. They needed to talk. He needed to make sure the boy was alright; otherwise his conscience wouldn't leave him alone.

Suddenly a dry tree branch snapped somewhere behind him. With a blink of an eye Rikimaru unsheathed Izayoi and moved himself between the noise and Lady Kiku. Rikimaru recognized the cause of the voice to the same young soldier that had brought him the message from Emi earlier the same morning.

The boy seemed not gotten over his fear of Izayoi, yet and he was looking the unsheathed sword like it could turn to poisonous snake any moment.

"What is it this time?" Rikimaru asked sheathing the sword with a mildly angry gesture.

"I-it is a-another cryptic message from t-the mistress Emi." The boy stuttered. "The price of the wager has been found and it's shall be paid along with the rope, and you'll be the one to do it..." The boy was getting calmer and more confident as he spoke. "And the one that escaped has been chained again. And then she requests your visit as soon as possible. That's it." The boy said and turned to walk away.

"Wait a moment." Rikimaru said in a quiet voice. "Stay here and look after these two ladies for me for a moment." Rikimaru ordered. "I'll be back in a half an hour." He assured the nervous looking boy as he left.

"_I especially asked not to be the one to execute him! I'm not sure can I even do it, let alone live with the consequences!"_ Rikimaru's mind raged silently. _"And what was that about the capturing the one that escaped? Had they captured the thousand-killer? But when …and how and why hadn't I known anything of it?" _

Rikimaru shook his head to get rid of the question swirling in his mind. He would get the answers soon; he would make that sure.

* * *

Onikage ran past the stone mausoleums in the grim front yard to the front gate. 

She was somewhere beyond that gate. His human, was dying somewhere in there, alone. An unknown pain dwelled in his chest and something had risen to his throat, making it hard for him to breathe. Saying that he was worried would have been an underestimation; saying that he was terrified was much closer to the current state of his mind.

As the girls powers weakened he felt similar weakness in his own limbs. The throbbing headache had come back to pierce his head, but he hardly noticed it from the horrible scenarios that his mind was constantly coming up with.

Speeding up his steps Onikage ran past the gate and found him self in a snowy mountaintop. His legs sunk deep in the snow, but it didn't matter. He could feel the girl's presence closer than in hours. Studying his surroundings Onikage gazed the white fields with is sharp crimson eyes, trying to see a glimpse of the human, but all he could see was more snow.

Then his nose caught a whiff of the familiar scent in the air. The girl couldn't be far.

"Wench, where the hell are you hiding!" he shouted hoping that the girl would hear him and react somehow.

As he walked further and further away from the gate he saw a glimpse of black in the middle of the blinding whiteness. As he got closer Onikage recognized it as the part of the girls' weird uniform. The snow has almost buried her out of the sight leaving only a glimpse of her other sleeve in above the surface.

Kneeling down he dug the girl out from the snow. She was pale and could to touch and her bare feet were in countless little wounds and bruises, but her pulse was strong and she was breathing calmly. Onikage was so relieved that he burst swearing.

"Who the hell gave you permission to fucking try to die behind my back!" Onikage shouted to her as he lifted the limp girl in his arms.

To his surprise he saw a little faint smile in her lips, but it vanished so quickly he wasn't sure had it really been a smile or just a shadows playing on her face.

* * *

First thing Ayame registered when she woke up as the first time was sound it was stable, strong beating against her ear. Something in the sound calmed her fearful mind assuring that she was safe now. 

The next sense that started working was the touch, despite the warmness against her cheek she was feeling cold. After pondering her problem a moment Ayame's tired mind found a perfect solution. She needed to get closer to the warm sound.

Ayame moved her arms that were heavy like they would have made of stone and found that there was some kind of thick fabric between her and the warmness. Gathering all her strength she tore the fabric away from the warm object and pressed against it, letting out a content sigh.

Her mind registered a soft voice taking something, somewhere near by, but she didn't have enough concentration to understand the meaning of the words.

Accepting it as an unfortunate, but incurable fact Ayame snuggled into a better position, which meant being as close to the warm object as possible and fell back to sleep.

As Ayame wandered back awake several hours later, she felt much better. She wasn't cold anymore and she was leaning into something warm and comfortable. Inhaling deeply Ayame inhaled a weird, but pleasant scent that seemed to linger in the air.

Yawning widely Ayame opened her eyes and saw something that she didn't recognize at first. After a moment of vigorous brain work Ayame recognized it as a partly a blanket, partly of a bare male torso and an equally bare shoulder against pale blue wall of her bedroom. Shifting her gaze higher, she met a pair of dangerously glowing red eyes in a very familiar face.

She had slept in a sitting position leaning into the man's chest. The thought was like a slap in the face, and she tried to snuggle away from him, but his arms pulled her back to his embrace, in a way that her back was pressed against his chest. His hold of her was gentle, but firm and Ayame soon noticed that despite how much she would twist she couldn't move away from him.

"No, no don't move so much… you are just getting me excited…" A husky voice murmured her ear and Ayame's eyes widened in shock as she completely understood her current position.

She was in her own rooms, sitting in a bed leaning her back against his chest, not in his lap, but between his legs, which meant that his private areas were pressing against her lower back.

"Oh my ..." Ayame breathed out. Was she feeling something hard pressing against her lower back? _"No, don't go there it's a very dangerous course of thought…"_ Ayame mumbled in her own mind suppressing a need to gasp as she felt his hot breath against her sensitive neck.

"… And we can't play until all these people leave us alone…" The man sighed in her ear drawing her attention to the pair that was standing next to her bed. The Healer looked rather friendly, but Emi had a scary emotionless expression on her face and eyes fixed upon Ayame.

"It's good to see you are awoken Ayame." The bald healer said, smiling gently. If Ayame remembered correctly his name was Tesshu or something like that.

"How much do you remember?" Emi asked eyeing Ayame suspiciously with her bright green eyes.

"From the mountains or from before?" Ayame asked and unable to hide the growing irritation from her voice.

"Actually I was meaning to ask you about the creatures I met in the forest in the other day… they looked like men, but they smelled like rotting flesh and their eyes glowed white. And about the moving empty suit of armours…" Ayame stopped to take a deep breath. "So, could someone please be so kind and explain to me where am I and what is going on, before I loose the rest of my sanity?"

"Oh, dear…This is going to take a while…" Emi sighed. "I'm going to tell you the short version; because frankly I don't think are you ready to hear the whole truth." Ayame felt the pale man's hands tightening around her, giving her strength. Sighing she nodded to Emi. She would have to settle for the short version for time being. She could find out the missing parts later on.

"I was actually hoping that I could explain these things to you with time and in private." Emi said directing a dirty look towards to the man behind her. "But because of your current situation …we have to do some compromises."

"I want you to throw away the world impossible out of your dictionary right now. It'll make things easier for you later on. As you have noticed some of the things you have used to take granted, don't necessarily exist or are as unchangeable as you think. It's because this mansion doesn't exist in your realm. Or actually not only there, it's simultaneously in three different realms or dimensions, whichever word you like to use." Emi said, stopping to think how she would explain the rest in the best possible way.

"One of them is the mortal realm, that's where you and other humans are from, the second is the five kingdoms, or hell, as you people like to call this place, the world of demons. And the third one is the Celestial realm. This mansion works as a gateway between all these realms, everything that moves between the realms must pass trough here." The red haired witch continued.

"So, the snowy mountain peaks…" Ayame started eyes widened.

"Those were the northern parts of the five kingdoms, where the Gohda mansion was originally built. The reason you weren't able to go back to your own world is because you lost your medallion. It works as a key to the gate and identifies you as a part of the mansion staff. That was the reason the suit of armour attacked you, the magic that keeps it alive mistook you as an intruder." Emi interrupted her.

"Magic..." Ayame started in disbelief, but fell silent as she started to think about it. The existence of magic could explain most if not all the weird events and encounters she had had this far. "So if you give me another one of those magic medallions, I can go home right?" Ayame asked hopefully.

"I wish that it would be so easy, but I'm afraid that it won't work like that. Person can acquire the medallion only once, and before you ask you can't borrow medallions of others. They are personal and work only for the one that they have been granted, so until you find your own medallion, you are stuck in here."

Emi's words effected Ayame like a kick to the stomach. All air escaped her lungs as all hope of ever getting back home left her.

"I- I think I've heard enough for one evening…" Ayame mumbled in a weak voice. She wanted to be alone.

"Very well then, I'll see you again in the morning." Emi said and glided out of the room, leaving Ayame alone with the pale man and her own chaotic thoughts.

* * *

Rikimaru was returning to his body-guarding duty from the meeting with Emi, as he caught a scent of blood in the air. It came from the rarely used narrow corridor that crossed his current path. 

Most likely it wouldn't be anything more serious than maid with a nosebleed, but his long years as a soldier and as an assassin had taught Rikimaru that ignoring the little hints of violence could be fatal, so he drew Izayoi from it's sheath and wandered to the dark corridor to check the situation a it closer.

The scent got more powerful as the corridor got darker and narrower and Rikimaru took a tighter grip around the hilt of his sword. Something was wrong, the corridor was too quiet. There were no hurried footsteps or cursing that would have suggested that there had been an accident.

The source of the smell was almost in his reach as the corridor suddenly made a sharp turn to left. Cursing his bad luck Rikimaru pressed his back against the wall and crept closer as quietly as possible. He didn't want to lose the advantage of surprise against the possible enemy, by stomping around the corner like a drunken sailor.

As Rikimaru stepped around the corner he encountered a sight that he wasn't expecting. There hidden in the darkest shadows, collapsed against the cold stone wall, was the current head of the house. Matsunoshin's hands clutched the left side of his royal robes, and Rikimaru could see that the boy's hands had dyed red from his own blood, but he was still breathing.

Letting the Izayoi to slip from his suddenly numb hands to the stone floor; Rikimaru closed the distance between them and bent down to bury the younger man into a gentle embrace. He didn't notice that his own clothes got stained in blood, and frankly he didn't give a damn. Matsunoshin was safely in his arms, where he belonged, and that was everything that mattered to him right now.

"_Why can't you stay out of trouble…?"_ Rikimaru though and briefly wondered what had the boy done this time…or were these wounds something he had gained as he had captured the most dangerous man alive.

The younger man's unruly black hair pressed against his cheek, and Rikimaru was surprised to notice how soft it felt against his skin. It was almost like black silk.

. The master of the north felt small and fragile in his arms, and Rikimaru had hard time in believing that this was the man that had chained the legendary thousand-killer all alone without any help. Even though he knew that the red haired witch wouldn't have lied him about something as serious as that.

"_I can't…I won't let them kill him…"_ Rikimaru promised to himself as he lifted the younger man in his arms with ease.

* * *

**-The end of chapter twelve – **

**Review or flame, it's your chance to let me know have to make the fic better, so please use it!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note:** Yay! Well, I've finally broken the line of 40 000 words. I never thought this would continue so far… but I still haven't got a clue what my fic is about or where to go with it…and I'm sure the plot will come to me… sooner or later…

**To Elena-Unduli**: Thank you for your reviews! They made me smile madly, and it was close that my friends didn't send me to some closed mental institution, with soft walls. And sorry that it took this long to update…It's good to hear that you liked Gohda and Onikage, they are the two characters that I'm most insecure to write about…And about Onikage's move to come to the right side…shh, please keep it quiet… he hasn't understood it yet. He thinks he is still the most evil creature dwelling in the three dimensions….poor thing.

**To Kill Caustic:** Thank you for your review! It made me happy as bumble bee in the spring time. There will be more Ayame+Onikage... I'll promise that. AndI think it's great that youhave come to like Onikage+Ayame pairing. (Iam a big Rikimaru+Ayame shipper too, believe it or not). And about Gohda+Rikimaru, this pairing exsist here mainly because two things: 1. to get me some flames and 2. to make people see that even though Rikimaru+Ayame is awonderful pairing, you can write something really far off too...(I couldn't think weirder pairing than that).And don't get too worried, It'll stay there as minor pairing and I'll make it as non-graphic one as I can.

**Warning:** Still haven't found my dictionary… so please forgive me the bad language… I believe this is one of the crappiest chapters this far… and there is some yaoi hints once again.

**Disclaimer:** Still owning nothing of Tenchu….sadly

* * *

**-Play time-**

As the door has closed behind Emi's back, Ayame buried her head in her hands. She didn't want to see how the walls of her bedroom would slowly creep closer and closer until she would get crushed underneath them. The claustrophobia had come back, just like before… when her parents had died. Only this time she wasn't feeling practically sad or even enraged, just shocked and somehow…empty.

"Are you going to fucking cry again?" The deep voice boomed behind her back. "I didn't know you were such a cry baby…" The voice continued taunting her from her nearly emotionless state. Ayame had already forgotten that the man was there, which was quite an achievement on it's own, something in the man just screamed attention.

"No, I'm not!" Ayame declared in an enraged tone, hoping that she could make the man disappear somewhere to taunt someone else, like to a mountain top to insult the sky. It was shocking to notice how used to his presence she already was. He had followed her around so long that she was already getting edgy when he wasn't there.

"Maybe it was because, the feeling of safeness you have when he's around you. He is awfully big and warm, isn't he?" A little voice in her consciousness suggested, but Ayame suppressed it. She didn't want to be reminded that in away she had grown to like him.

"And who on earth are you anyway? And what bond-nonsense is everybody blabbering about?" Ayame asked forgetting that just two minutes earlier she had gained more than enough answers for one day. She would have glared him evilly but it was rather difficult in her current position.

"I'm Onikage, the demon shadow." The man stated as it should have told her everything.

"I didn't mean your name." Ayame said quietly. "Although it is quite fitting." she continued letting out a little laugh that had nothing to do with happiness. "I just meant it literally, I know you aren't human … but otherwise I have no clue."

A moment of silence the man let out a sigh that told that he wasn't really into _this 'I'm-Ayame-and-I'm-a-human- who-and-what-are-you-game'_.

"I'm what you lowlifes call a vampire." Onikage answered.

"Well that explains the death-pale complexion and hunger for blood." Ayame thought out loud, cursing herself for letting the situation that had supposed to be a verbal assault to transform to a nice afternoon tea discussion between an old couple.

The thought made her notice once again how his muscular arms were tied around her. He could have easily crushed Ayame with his strength, but instead he was holding her in an almost tender manner.

"No, Ayame don't think like that, concentrate." She mentally shook herself.

Trying to save the little of the original tone of the conversation Ayame asked in a coldest tone she could muster: "So what exactly are you doing in my room? Everybody already knows about you in this mansion, so you should be able to wander around the mansion just fine. I doubt anyone could stop you from doing that even if they wanted."

"It's because of our bond and your heat." The man said like that short answer would have cleared her question. She was feeling edgy again.

"_Why was everyone in this bloody gate-way of a house talking with riddles?"_ She cursed mentally "_Was it really that hard to give straight answers or was it a part of protocol in this twisted mansion?" _

"What bond? And I'm not in a bloody heat, damn it!" Ayame shouted. Her time of the month was still weeks away, and she would have known if they had started beforehand, at least she would know it better than some tall, pale freak boy with fangs.

"Are you fucking kidding me wench? The man answered with a question. "Don't your little human brain tell you when you are in heat, and drawing the attention of every living-male in a to mile radius with you seducing scent! The only thing that has kept them away from you this long is the mark you carry." The man raged, and the arms around her got tighter, pulling her even closer against his chest. For some reason the action set a swarm butterflies fluttering in to her stomach.

"I don't even bother to answer that." Ayame mumbled…until she remembered something weird "What mark!" She demanded to know trying to turn around in his embrace, without much success.

"My mark." Onikage answered lowering his head to kiss the sensitive base of her neck.

"The bite marks." Ayame realized, but before she had a chance to inquire further information from the Man, he whispered in to her ear in a husky voice: "The Ask-and-answer-game is over. You got what you want… now it's my turn, and I want to play."

Before Ayame knew what was happening the man removed her from his lap, tossing her in her back to the bed and trapping her hands above her head and her legs under his own, in a similar way he had done last night. Lowering his head so close that their noses almost touched, Onikage looked her with those dangerously glowing red eyes of his.

"What do you think you are…? " Ayame started, but Onikage quieted her down with a long, heated kiss.

As the kiss broke Ayame opened her mouth to speak: "If you think…" she started with a breathless voice "…that you can do whatever you want, you are sadly mistaken."

The man answered to her question by ripping open the top half of her school uniform and removing her bra in a similar manner. The inhuman lust radiated from his eyes, making Ayame's heart flutter like a caged bird in her chest.

"No…" Ayame started in a weak voice, but Onikage interrupted her with another fiery kiss. First she tried to battle against it, but it didn't take too long before she melted into the kiss and answered it with equal passion and opened her mouth enough to let him explore it with his tongue.

"You are driving me insane, and I'm not going to take it anymore. I'm going to have my way with you tonight. You are going to submit to me voluntarily or I'm going to take you by force. It's your choice." The man stated in a husky voice as the kiss broke.

Ayame's eyes widened in shock, waking her momentarily from her lust. "You wouldn't ..." She started, but the devilish smirk that appeared to Onikage's face stopped her in the middle of the sentence. _"He would do it and enjoy."_ Ayame realized.

"I like it both ways… but I've noticed that generally the rape is more painful, especially to the virgins like you." The man said studying her face with those glowing red eyes. "But if your head can't find the answer I can always ask the answer from your body." Man suggested and started to move his lips lower along her body.

The feather light touch of Onikage's lips was quickly driving the sanity out from her head and growing the nameless longing in her heart. His head was between her breasts as he stopped for a moment to ask in a husky voice: "So which one it is?"

"What is?" Ayame asked in a distant voice and gasped when his tongue moved to other one of her round breast to tease her nipple.

"Your answer…" The man reminded in an amused tone, before returning to his task.

"Yes." Ayame mumbled unable to remember the question let alone the options anymore. The sweet torture of his kisses and caresses had set her body on fire and everything even close of rational thinking had fled from her head ages ago.

"I'll take that as the first option." The man said and freed Ayame's hands to get rid of her remaining clothes, with speed and efficiency that would have impressed Ayame if she wouldn't have been sinking to the world of carnal pleasures.

His hands seemed to everywhere, moving from her hips to her thighs and then back up to her breast again. Ayame's own hands were wandering along his back to his neck, tracing the lines of his muscles. His body felt so hard, strong, exiting and so different compared to Ayame's own.

Ayame moaned in pleasure as the man moved on top of her to kiss the extremely sensitive bite mark on her neck.

The man pierced her neck with his fangs at the same time as he pushed his hard member inside of her. Ayame had to clench her teeth together to prevent herself from shouting out loud from the pain. The man slowed down to let her get used to this new sensation as he licked the blood from the bite mark in her head.

After a moment the pain slowly subsided and Ayame relaxed and started to answer with the man's movements with her own, first in a slow rhythm that gradually gained speed, until they finally found their release together.

* * *

Mimi barged to Emi's room without knocking, making Emi jump from surprise. 

"He is here… in this house. We have to do something!" The petite witch shouted her eyes full of fear. There was only one person Emi could think of that could scare the younger witch, and that was the thousand-killer.

"Calm down Mimi, I already know and the matter is already been taken care of." Emi said and focused her attention back to the cards she had placed in a complex pattern on her table.

"You… what did you …?" Mimi said in a shocked voice examining Emi with her big sky blue eyes. "Don't tell me that you chained him on your own." Mimi said dressing her biggest fear into words.

Raising her piercing green eyes from the cards to the blond witch in her room, Emi wondered how much she should say to clear things up, but still keep the situation under control.

"No, I wasn't the one to chain him, but he is under the control of the human girl now, and he is wearing the silver medallion that binds him to the rules of the mansion. We can't hurt him even if we tried, believe me I already tried." Emi said and lowered her gaze back to the cards.

After a moment of silence Emi raised her gaze to study why the other witch was so unusually quiet and saw that Mimi had already gone.

"Well, I can't really blame her from freaking out after what I did, can I?" Emi thought amusedly and focused her attention back to her cards. It seemed that the shock was still laying heavily in the back her own mind too.

For the first time in her life she had made an error when she had tried to read the cards, not once but twice.

No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, the only meaning of the cards she could think of was that Matsunoshin would die and keep on living, but that made no sense at all.

Sighing Emi took the cards from the table and placed them back to deck. She would try again later.

* * *

Matsunoshin Gohda woke up, feeling like the younger ninja's would have used him as a target of kunai practise and then tossed him from a cliff. Even the soft bed he laid in felt like it was made of rock and nails, and every inch of his body ached. He was in one of the empty servant rooms in the eastern or the southern wing. The walls were pale green, like leaves in early spring. 

Then it hit him. His last memory, before bed was a dark stone corridor in the east wing, and the way the after effects of the spell had tore open his half healed wounds, inflicting unbearable burning pain to radiate from his chest to all over his body.

He couldn't have gotten himself to bed in that condition, therefore someone must have carried him. That led to conclusion that someone was now aware of his curse.

"_Please let it be one of the younger servants."_ Matsunoshin prayed to every God he could think of. Younger servants wouldn't doubt his words, let alone question his orders. In the worst case scenario the helpful soul was ether Rikimaru, Tatsumaru or one of the witch sisters. They wouldn't let him slip away without the third degree questioning. The mere though of all those unwanted questions, made him jump out of the bed.

"Not the best idea you've made." An irritated voice said Matsunoshin's own thoughts aloud, as the burning of his chest returned making him gasp air like fish out of the water. He had to lean to the wall for support, to prevent himself from doubling over.

Rikimaru stood in the doorway, hands crossed over his chest. His silver hair glowed eerily in the light of the fireplace. Shaking his head lightly he walked to Matsunoshin.

"I don't know where you think you are going punk, but now you will either go back to bed on your own or I will make you do it." Rikimaru said in a voice that left no room to arguments.

Matsunoshin wondered would he be able to speak his way out of this, but a single glance to Rikimaru's golden eye told him that it wouldn't be an option. He had wished to avoid this situation. He had already left his final farewells, and he was afraid that even the shear sight of the silver haired ninja might inspire him to selfish actions. Even now Matsunoshin could feel how a part of him wanted to hang in to a possibility of happiness, even if it would be just a moment.

"_Those without future shouldn't harvest false dreams."_ Gohda thought trying to ignore the painful longing of his heart.

"So how is it going to be?" Rikimaru asked. "Either way you need rest, we have to get you to Luna, and you have to save your energy to the long years of hiding." He continued coming even closer. Now, Rikimaru was so close that Matsunoshin could feel the warmth that radiated from Rikimaru's body.

It took a moment before the full meaning of Rikimaru's words sank to Matsunoshin's mind.

"_Years… he couldn't mean… was Rikimaru willing to ruin his future for him; a half-breed bastard without anything to give?"_ The thought made the mask of false feelings slip from his face for a moment, but then Matsunoshin remembered the unhappy reality.

"Rikimaru… I…You can't even know how happy you made me by saying those words, but I can't let you do that. I have a duty…" Matsunoshin started to explain, but Rikimaru interrupted him.

"Hell with your duties." Rikimaru almost shouted "I can't let you be killed, even if it would prevent the war. …I…" Rikimaru paused trying to find the right words. "If I'd do that, I wouldn't be able to live with my self …I…" Rikimaru's voice was getting desperate as he tried to explain feelings he couldn't even understand himself.

"I can't let you save me for nothing Rikimaru." Matsunoshin interrupted with a gentle voice. "I never told you about my curse of my blood, did I?" Matsunoshin asked more from himself than from Rikimaru. "As you know, my ancestors have frequently been blessed with great powers. It's even said that the magic runs in our family blood." Matsunoshin stopped for a moment to take a deep breath.

"For my curse also I have been granted those powers. I have enough power to shatter mountains, but my half-human body isn't strong enough vessel to hold the raging power inside me. In short, the powers are eating my body from the inside. At the best case scenario I would have from one to two years left to live, and I can't let you destroy your life for that." Matsunoshin said unable to meet Rikimaru's gaze.

The ninja was the first one to break the uncomfortable silence that had filled the room after Matsunoshin's confession.

"I…the year would be worth it… Hell, even few months would be worth it. " Rikimaru said in a silent voice, caressing Matsunoshin's face with his finger tips.

"I'm sorry Rikimaru, It can't never happen… not in this life." Matsunoshin whispered and raised his head to hastily press his lips to Rikimaru's. It was barely a kiss, but it was more than he had planned.

Before Rikimaru had time to recover from the shock or say anything, Matsunoshin used his final weapon in order to ensure that Rikimaru wouldn't do anything he might later regret.

"Rikimaru you have once sworn to obey my every command, and now I'm going to use that promise. In the name of the Lord of the North I command you: You will protect and obey my sister like you used to protect and obey me, until she orders otherwise." Matsunoshin said in a cold voice straightening to his full length.

"But I…" Rikimaru started before Matsunoshin interrupted him

"I am the law in this house, until my sister is officially crowned, and you will obey me!" Matsunoshin commanded, his eyes flaming.

"Yes, my Lord" Rikimaru said bowing down after a moment of silence.

"Now, leave me." Matsunoshin ordered in the coldest voice he could muster. He didn't think he had ever done anything so difficult in his whole life, than watched how Rikimaru walked out of the room and from his life.

"_Why was it so painful to do the right thing?"_ Gohda thought wiping the moistness from his eyes to the ridiculously sized sleeve of his robe.

**

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-The end of chapter thirteen – **

Yup…and a short chappie again….sorry….


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note**:Sorry it's taken ages to update, but I've partied and travelled about 4 weeks in a row, being home less than a week in last month. And on top of that two days ago, I got a letter that tells that I have accidentally been accepted into some far off college. It' being accidental, 'cause I posted my papers there as a joke. But nevertheless I got in…somehow. And now I have 2 weeks time to find myself an apartment...well anyway

Thanks to all reviewers.

**Elena Unduli: **Thanks for your review! It's nice to see that someone likes to read about yaoi pairings ... I'm growing quite in fond of them too...and about Matsunoshin's future...you have to just wait and see...Muahah hah haa...(being evil)

**Kill Caustic:** Thank you for you review and advices! I'm trying to improve my writing in the future sex-scenes... hopefully I succeed. Sorry for the update delay...

**Riki:** To state the reasons for not updatingin short: 2400 km roadtrip, alcohol, birthday, rock festival and trip to denmark.

**Seducing Reason**:No worries mate... no need to apologise...good to have you back. :) Tell me if you want to continue as a beta-reader...and I'll start sending chapters to you again...and Thank you!

**

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-The Blood lust-**

Onikage lay wide awake between the sheets, studying the sleeping human beside him. She was truly peculiar creature, this human of his. Almost like a child in woman's body at times: a seducing mix of fiery passion and striking innocence that she tried to hide so hard.

A small askew smile played on his lips as the girl snuggled closer to him in her sleep.

It was rather amusing how easily she could fall asleep in his arms. He hadn't done anything to earn her trust, and he certainly hadn't planned it. He had planned to keep her in a state of constant fear, that way she would have been easy to manipulate into his schemes, but he had somehow accidentally gained her undisputable trust in the process. Well, it would make betraying her a lot more interesting in the end.

Onikage couldn't tell for sure weather it was her looks, her heat or her innocence that drove the remaining sanity out of his body few hours ago.

"_Well, at least now that it's out schedule, I can get over her and continue my life."_ Onikage thought as he got out of the bed. That's how it worked for him: he saw, he fucked and he forgot. It kept his life simple.

"_And she won't be in my way…"_ Onikage thought directing one last glance to Ayame, who slept in her bed peacefully. An unfamiliar sensation burned in his chest as he saw the content smile playing on her lips, but he suppressed it quickly. He would forget her soon enough.

Onikage gathered his clothes from the cold, stone floor, where he apparently had discarded them in the heat of the passion and sneaked out of the room to take a quick bath. He wanted to wash away her scent, find a way to break the curses, finish his task and kill the half-breed bastard that had humiliated him.

After the nice hot bath Onikage dressed to the clothes that belonged to one young soldier or other, and left the human's rooms quietly as a ghost.

* * *

Rikimaru wasn't in his best moods when Lady Kiku summoned him to her chambers, chambers that still few hours ago had belonged to Matsunoshin.

Rikimaru's angry mind refused to let the events of the night rest in peace as he stomped towards the gigantic pair of doors that had been redecorated to blooming moonflower's to match Kiku's taste. The futile questions were like fuel to the fiery anger that burned inside him.

"_Why in the name of seven hells hadn't the kid told him about his situation? Hadn't Matsunoshin trusted him enough? Why hadn't Matsunoshin accepted his offer, when Rikimaru knew that Matsunoshin wanted to do so? Why the boy ordered him away? ... And why had Matsunoshin kissed him?_" The thought make Rikimaru suddenly stop in the middle of his step all anger forgotten.

Matsunoshin had almost killed him into a pure surprise, when he had raised his head up and looked Rikimaru with an unknown expression written into his handsome face and then pressed his lips against Rikimaru's own.

The soft sensation of Matsunoshin's lips against his own had threatened to stop his poor heart completely and efficiently wiped away every thought in Rikimaru's head simultaneously.

Returning back to the present Rikimaru noted that he had brought his right hand over his mouth; his fingers were barely touching his lips. The unconscious act returned Rikimaru's anger.

He wasn't going to daydream in the middle of his duties like some cursed love-struck fool.

"_Why was the whole fucking world trying to prevent him from being happy? Just when he had start to realize his own feelings the damned nobility inside Matsunoshin had kicked in, and destroyed the little hope Rikimaru had had left. He didn't care about some bloody war. He wanted Matsunoshin, and he wanted the man alive!"_ Rikimaru let the anger roam free inside his mind, it was much easier to handle than sadness and the piercing longing that was the option number two.

Rikimaru had tried to find Matsunoshin, but the man seemed to have disappeared overnight. Nobody was willing to tell him where the previous master had gone, but Rikimaru was sure that someone would talk to him, sooner or later. And then he would just have to save the man, whether Matsunoshin liked it or not.

Swinging open the gigantic pair of doors, Rikimaru stomped into the room, looking ready to slit some throats if agitated.

"Ah, Rikimaru we've been waiting for you… are you ready for my introduction ceremony?" Lady Kiku asked in a happy voice that hurt Rikimaru's ears.

"_How could she be so happy in a moment like this?"_ Rikimaru thought, studying the beautiful, smiling face of hers. The heiress was dressed into an especially beautiful white silk robe, with pearl embroidery, and matching hair ornaments that hung in the both side of her head and chimed whenever she tilted her head.

But the piece of jewellery that had strongest impact on him was the plain silver ring with a small black stone in the middle. It hanged between her breasts in a silvery chain. The ring was Matsunoshin's, a mark of a ruler the man had once told him, something that he was supposed to keep safe for his sister.

There weren't many things that Rikimaru would have wanted to do more than rip the ring from his mistress's neck at that moment.

"_How dared she?"_ Her brother was still alive, but she already wore the ring like it wouldn't be nothing more than a piece of jewellery. Rikimaru needed few deep breaths to calm him down.

"Yes, my Lady." Rikimaru answered bowing politely after a moment.

"When my introduction ceremony is over, I wish that you'd choose two female bodyguards for me, and start their training with Tatsumaru. It's less complicated for me to have female bodyguards; they can follow me everywhere much more easily than men." Lady Kiku stated and directed a rather playful smile over Rikimaru's shoulder.

"I tried to tell her that it isn't so easy to train new bodyguards… but she won't listen to me." Tatsumaru sighed walking to Rikimaru's side. He was dressed into similar uniform, but where Rikimaru's uniform was wrinkly and looked like he had slept last night in it, like he had. Tatsumaru's uniform looked as good as new.

"I'll try my best, my lady." Rikimaru answered, studying his half-brother. Something was off in Tatsumaru's expression; Rikimaru just didn't know what exactly. It just didn't fit in the image Rikimaru had from his half-brother.

"Good, I was hoping that you'd say that." Kiku said softly, smiling a little relieved smile and interrupting Rikimaru's thoughts. "Now, that it's settled… let's go and introduce me to my people." She said and the nervousness of her voice betrayed the otherwise calm appearance.

* * *

Onikage wandered to the front yard stopping in front of the stone mausoleum that hid the dungeon where he had been trapped for centuries. Letting out an unnecessarily deep breath Onikage stepped inside. He needed a place to think, and could anything be more private place to think than a hidden dungeon.

The simple stone structure was equally plain from the inside that it was in the outside. Just like the man that lay inside the stone coffin in the middle of the structure. Only even remotely personal object in the grave was the full body mirror that led to the dungeon he had left only few short weeks ago.

"It's fucking ironic… isn't it Mitsuomi?" Onikage said to the simple grey, stone coffin. "You needed a small army of people to chain me into that room, and then 200 year's later I return down there voluntarily."

The coffin and it's user remained silent, and so Onikage jumped trough the silvery surface of the mirror into the small, dark, cold and moist stone room below.

The smell of blood told Onikage that he wasn't alone in the room. The scent made him hungry. He hadn't had got a decent meal in ages, and besides this blood smelled different. He couldn't quite place it, but the scent was vaguely familiar. It took a moment, before his eyes adapted to pitch black darkness and Onikage could see a figure of a man in the opposite wall.

The young man hang from the wall, his bare feet barely touching the cold, stone floor. As Onikage approached the youth quietly, he could see the sturdy chains that trapped the man's wrists and ankles against the stone wall. The youth's head hung limply, hiding his face behind the messy black hair suggesting that the he was asleep, dead or unconscious. The fresh blood stains in the ragged grey kimono implied the latter. The man was still bleeding under the cloth.

The thought of the taste of fresh blood in his mouth made Onikage lick his lips in anticipation.

He didn't remember moving closer to his helpless victim, but suddenly he was so close his victim that Onikage could hear his faint breathing. The victim was a half a head shorter than Onikage, even as he hanged good ten inches above the ground, and he looked strangely familiar, but the hunger suppressed all the other thoughts from Onikage's head as he yanked open the filthy kimono to get better access to the blood that called to him.

Series of cuts ran from the youth's pale chest over his flat stomach to disappear somewhere in his muscular back. Some of the wounds were longer than others but they were all deep enough to bleed.

Onikage's hunger knew no boundaries as he bent closer to press his lips to the boy's torso to suck the blood from the wounds. The salty, slightly coppery taste of the liquid filled his mouth as he greedily moved his lips from one wound to another. It was different from any blood he had ever tasted; it was not as delicious as Ayame's but close.

Too soon he found that the flow of the blood was slowing down, he needed to pierce the big veins in the youth's neck.

Taking a fistful of the victim's messy black hair Onikage yanked the youth's head up to see his latest victim's face. He almost let go, as he recognized the victim to the same half-breed bastard that had chained him. The bastards clothes had changed from the uniform of a high rank officer to kimono of a beggar, and he looked like he was badly beaten, but he was still clearly recognizable to the same cocky kid that had humiliated him in the underground hallways. No wonder the taste was peculiar. Onikage doubted that he had ever dined on half-breed's blood before.

Onikage could barely believe his own good luck. He would get his meal and his revenge in the same package and the best thing was that the cursed families of Gohda and Azuma had done all the hard work for him.

As Onikage gleamed in his own glory, the master of the house let out a muffled wail. He was gaining back his consciousness. Onikage smiled to himself, all the better, the cursed offspring of Mitsuomi would be awake to witness his moment of triumph.

To prevent the bastard from uttering out any harmful spells Onikage pressed his other hand to the half-breeds mouth and bent the boy's head to right so that he could get better access to the base of his neck.

Just when he was about to pierce the boy's veins with his sharp fangs, Onikage heard a muffled voice behind him. Turning around he caught a glimpse of his human fleeing from the dungeons trough the hidden door way.

"_How long had she been in there?"_ Onikage wondered absentminded and paid for that as a sharp pain pierced his hand. The half-breed human had bitten him deep enough to make him bleed.

Cursing colourfully to himself Onikage yanked his hand free from the half-human and turned to look at the bastard and his bloody mouth.

"Well congratulations kid… you've saved me from a lot of trouble. If the blood-poison, which runs in my veins won't kill you, then the starvation or the madness will." He spat to the black eyes little monster, before rushing after the girl. The meal would have to wait until later; right now it was important to keep the human from doing anything stupid.

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**-The end of chapter fourteen-**

A really short chapter once again…but I promise to write longer one next time……Thanks for the patience…


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